The executive of the Nationalist Party this evening approval a proposal by party leader Simon Busuttil for the statute to be amended so that the Nationalist Party would have two deputy leaders, one for parliamentary affairs and the other for party affairs.

The proposal was approved after a discussion, and it will be presented for approval at a meeting of the party's general council this Sunday, Dr Busuttil said this evening.

"I want to send the message that I want the leadership of the PN to be a team and that the leadership of the party is decentralised," he told reporters.

If the motion is approved voting for the deputy leaders will take place on May 25.

The executive’s proposal comes against a background of reports that leadership runner up Mario de Marco is being urged to contest the post of deputy.

The leading contender for the post so far appears to be Beppe Fenech Adami. Other people mentioned as possible contenders, such as former ministers Jason Azzopardi and Joseph Cassar, have said they will not contest.

Dr de Marco has said he will not contest the post but he left the door ajar saying he was prepared to serve in whatever position the party asked him to.

Meanwhile, the party's parliamentary group, which for the first time today was led by new leader Simon Busuttil, unanimously approved a resolution welcoming Dr Busuttil as the party’s new leader and thanking Dr de Marco, Francis Zammit Dimech and Ray Bugeja for their service in the leadership election.

This, Dr Busuttil said, gave him confidence to accept the role of leader.

The group also thanked former leader Lawrence Gonzi for his nine years of leadership during which he gave the Maltese people a useful service with “total commitment and dedication”.

It wished Dr Gonzi and his wife Kate more work for the benefit of the country and the best in life.