The new leader of the Nationalist Party will also have a new general secretary as Paul Borg Olivier yesterday announced he will not be contesting the post again.
It was I who brought Joe Saliba and Austin Gatt on board
Dr Borg Olivier told The Times he felt he had to assume responsibility for the electoral defeat as he was in charge of the party administration.
“I want to make sure that the party does not carry any baggage associated with this defeat and that is why I have decided to make way. I was responsible for the electioral campaign and the general administration of the party and I take responsibility for it. I did my best and we made sure we had the best possible campaign,” he said.
Dr Borg Olivier, a lawyer by profession, will be returning to his job in a few weeks’ time and will try to make up for lost time with his family.
“The past five years were an excellent experience for me as despite the big difficulties we faced, particularly internally, we managed to sail through.
“When I contested back in 2008 I knew that we had a very difficult task ahead of us. We had been in government for 10 years and had won the election with a wafer-thin majority. Still it was a great experience.
“My biggest satisfaction was being side by side with Lawrence Gonzi to navigate the rough waves that were hitting the country and the party,” Dr Borg Olivier said.
He denied he had been sidelined during the electoral campaign and that the party brought back Joe Saliba and Austin Gatt to manage it. He said he was the one who had overall responsibility for the campaign.
“It was I who brought Joe Saliba and Austin Gatt on board as we wanted to have all the experienced hands on deck. Everyone, including me, had their tasks in the campaign and we delivered.”
Dr Borg Olivier’s mandate was actually meant to have ended last June but, because the general election was so close, the executive decided to postpone the election of the party’s adminsitartion.
He also rejected the suggestion that he made the announcement to step down in order to pre-empt almost certain defeat had he contested again.
“I know when it’s time to stop and move on. The time has come for me and this is why I took this decision. Many have already told me that the defeat is not my fault and wanted me to stay but I think that it’s time to move on,” he said.
Dr Borg Olivier said he would continue to involve himself in politics but would not be taking an active part in the administration of the party.