Simon Busuttil this evening underlined the need for unity in the PN and openness to the people as he delivered his first speech as party leader.
He said he was accepting to be leader of the party out of a sense of duty, humility and responsibility.
He had never expected his life to take this course, he said. It was a special privilege to lead this glorious party, but it was also a heavy burden of responsibility.
What he could offer in return was total dedication.
Dr Busuttil thanked his parents and children for their support.
He also thanked previous leaders of the PN, particularly Lawrence Gonzi and Eddie Fenech Adami who had built on the rich heritage of the previous leaders.
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He also thanked the other candidates in the leadership race. This was a contest between friends who respected one another, he said, and the message they had conveyed was one of serenity and unity, something which needed to be carried forward.
"Mario, Francis, Ray, I need your help to build a strong party," he said, adding that he wished to adopt the ideas they had promoted in their electoral campaigns.
He also thanked party officials led by Paul Borg Olivier, and the party councillors.
Unfortunately, he said, the party was not united in the past few months. It was also not sufficiently open to the people but it was closed within itself.
"I will work for unity in the party, and for a party that is open to everyone," he said.
The doors of PN headquarters were being opened to everyone and everyone was being invited to contribute, he said to applause.
But, he added, the party could not wait for the people to come to it. It had to go to the people (applause).
He would lead by example and would be knocking on people's doors.
"We need to regain the people's respect and confidence, this has to be our biggest political project," he said.
The party should show it was prepared to listen to everyone, including those who had not voted for it.
He said he would convene the parliamentary group and the executive tomorrow to kick off this process.
Over the coming days he would also set up a commission to make recommendations to address the party's financial issues as quickly as possible, Dr Busuttil said, while thanking the party's employees for their loyalty.
He would also appoint a commission to review the party statute and set-up.
Another commission would be responsible for the selection and preparation of election candidates.
A new group would also make recommendations on the evolving state of society.
A collage of candidates and former MPs would also be set up.
Dr Busuttil said he would take initiatives to strengthen the party's presence in the south and in Gozo.
Party headquarters, he said, also needed to become a hive of activity once more, a place where everyone felt at home.
"There is a long way ahead, and we are embarking on this road today, Dr Busuttil said.
"My promise to the people is that the PN will rise to the challenge as it always did in the past, with humility. The party will learn from its mistakes, and it will reach its destination," he said.