Very few candidates are expected to contest the Nationalist Party leadership, with analysts yesterday saying it was unlikely that anyone outside the parliamentary group would take on the job being vacated by Lawrence Gonzi.
I will do what’s in the best interest of the party- Beppe Fenech Adami
According to sources, Simon Busuttil and Mario de Marco are seen as most likely to contest the PN’s top job, though neither has given any indication; however, Beppe Fenech Adami is also being encouraged to throw his hat into the ring.
Just hours after the general election defeat last week, Dr Gonzi said he had no intention of seeking re-election, paving the way for the first change in the PN leadership for nearly a decade.
But as the party comes to grips with the 36,000-vote deficit, analysts told The Sunday Times it could take several days until candidates start coming forward.
“Dr Busuttil has proved himself on the international stage and stuck his neck out in the moment of need. Dr de Marco has been an excellent performer in his field,” said one senior PN official.
When contacted, Dr Fenech Adami said: “People are trying to persuade me to take on any of the three top posts. I will do what’s in the best interest of the party.”
Other individuals mentioned for the deputy’s role are former ministers Joe Cassar and Jason Azzopardi. Former Justice Minister Chris Said is considered a frontrunner for the general secretary’s role being vacated by Paul Borg Olivier.
The party rules make it possible for anyone with a PN membership card to contest any of the posts and there has been some speculation that a fresh face will enter the race.
Party insiders yesterday stressed this was a natural reaction by many still trying to come to terms with the heavy defeat, and who believe the only solution is an individual with a clean slate.
Lawyer Ann Fenech was forced to rule herself out of the contest on Friday after her name was touted on social media.
Firing a broadside last Wednesday, MP Robert Arrigo said the “clique” was to blame for the party’s heavy defeat and should go “in its entirety”, also warning against those who “resort to excuses of coming here only recently.”
But former PN administrative president and journalist Pierre Portelli argued on a Facebook post that it was pure nonsense to even think the PN could start from scratch by wiping out everyone at the helm.
We need a charismatic leader. Just look at what happened to Labour when it fielded Alfred Sant
“It is now time for the PN to move on and stop shooting down its assets otherwise there will be no one left to regroup, restart and refresh. It is crazy to think that someone will fall from the sky and have the clout to drive a political structure without having had the experience or the notion of political campaigning,” said Mr Portelli.
“It is nonsense for PN supporters to penalise Simon Busuttil because he chose the honourable route to contest for deputy leader three months away from what was visibly a clear defeat... Instead he took the plunge and ploughed ahead with Lawrence, Mario, Beppe, Tonio and the rest.”
One other PN insider told The Sunday Times: “We need a charismatic leader. Just look at what happened to Labour when it fielded Alfred Sant.”
Another said: “The good thing is that the two frontrunners have the most important quality to take the PN into the next step – they are both liberal in their ways.”