Several members of the Nationalist Party executive complained at a meeting on Monday that the party’s MEP candidates yet again poorly represented the south.
Party sources said the meeting got quite animated at one point and the discussion ended with the candidates’ list not being approved unanimously.
Asked for a reaction yesterday, party leader Simon Busuttil said he believed the south was “well represented”, though he did not comment on whether Monday’s vote was unanimous.
The candidates approved by the PN’s executive were David Casa, Roberta Metsola, Helga Ellul, Stefano Mallia, Theresa Comodini Cachia, Jonathan Shaw, Kevin Cutajar and Kevin Plumpton.
Two of them live in localities in the south but members of the executive who raised the issue insisted the point was not their place of residence but the candidates’ affinity to the constituency.
“Just because a person was born there, or now lives there, does not mean that he or she represents the people of the south or actually relates to them,” one source said, reflecting one of the arguments made during the meeting.
Dr Busuttil insisted that three of the eight candidates hailed from the region, lived there or had connections with it.
“Kevin Plumpton lives in the south and so does Therese Comodini Cachia, and then there’s David Casa who contested the last general election on the fifth district. I think we are well-represented in the south,” he told Times of Malta.
Jean-Claude Micallef, the Net TV presenter who is quite popular on the fifth district, was not approved by the MEP candidates’ selection committee headed by former EU Commissioner Joe Borg.
The reason is likely linked to charges of misappropriation he is facing in court (see below).
Another name that had been floated was Ingrid Brownrigg, popular and very active in southern localities and with experience working in European institutions.
But Dr Busuttil stood by the choice made by the committee, which he had set up shortly after being appointed PN leader.
This will be the PN’s first real test following its landslide defeat at the March poll. The party is only represented by two members of the European Parliament, as opposed to Labour’s four.
During a meeting with the chosen eight yesterday Dr Busuttil said the party was leaving the door ajar to add a limited number candidates.
The aim, he said, was to win a third seat.
He expressed pride in his team, saying he was eager to work with them to achieve the party’s goal. The team presented a good mix of age, background, competences, experiences and qualities.
He said the idea of having the candidates approved so quickly was to enable them to embark on the campaign process early, giving them time to get their message across and meet more people.
Asked about those who had not been chosen, Dr Busuttil said they were “not losers” but could contribute to the party in other ways.
Dr Busuttil told MEP candidates: “This will be a life-changing experience for those who are elected as MEPs. From today, your names carry a national profile – something to be proud of but that also brings a lot of responsibility.”