Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said this afternoon that what he had proposed to the PN general council was a PN leadership contest, where he would be a candidate. Voting would be by secret ballot.
Speaking at a press conference after his address to the PN General Council, Dr Gonzi said that once the Opposition's no confidence motion was defeated in parliament on Thursday, he had a duty to continue to lead the government.
He also strongly believed that this was not the right time for the country to face an early election. The focus should remain on the economy. An election would be held if there was no other option.
Last Thursday, he said, a Nationalist MP chose to abstain in the no-confidence vote. But he had not voted with the Opposition. This was very important.
The MP (Franco Debono) had given his reasons for his abstention, and Dr Gonzi said he had heard every word that was said and was giving every word its importance. The speech was based on a call for shouldering of responsibilities.
Therefore, Dr Gonzi said, he was assuming responsibility for the government's decisions. He would be the first to admit that some of the decisions were wrong and others could have been handled better.
Dr Gonzi said he felt this declaration was not enough and he was therefore asking those who elected him as party leader eight years ago to declare whether they wanted him to stay on as leader or have a new leader.
LEADERSHIP CONTEST
This would not be a vote to reconfirm him, Dr Gonzi said. This would be a leadership contest where he would be a candidate and others were free to also submit their names as candidates.
If somebody else was chosen, Dr Gonzi said, he would back him/her unconditionally.
Dr Gonzi said the PN executive would meet on Thursday to set up an electoral commission to receive nominations for the contest.
Asked how this decision could solve the problems in parliament, Dr Gonzi said he hoped this action would address the cardinal point, which was that he should shoulder his responsibilities. He was now putting his leadership on the line and anyone could contest him.
NOT A RESIGNATION
Dr Gonzi said this was not a resignation. He was inviting everyone to confirm him or contest him, but if he was not contested than he expected everyone to toe the line and respect the decision of the councillors.
Asked about Dr Debono's complaints about other ministers and whether they too would be asked to shoulder their responsibilities, Dr Gonzi said Dr Debono had made valid problems which the government wanted to legislatate upon. None of the points were taboo.
Ultimately, Dr Gonzi said, he was responsible for the government as a whole. 'The buck stops here, I shoulder all decisions, including ministerial appointments and the composition of the Cabinet'.
Dr Gonzi confirmed that the ballot would be held even if there were no candidates other than himself. However, Dr Gonzi said he would not speculate on whether a threshold should be achieved.
'My ultimate aim is to have a united party working in the national interest, Dr Gonzi said.
The prime minister said councillors had not been invited to speak at this morning's council meeting because their voice would be heard in the ballot box.
Asked if he had had any contacts with Franco Debono and how parliamentary business would be handled, Dr Gonzi said his last contact with Dr Debono was today week, but there had been mediation and he hoped these contacts would continue. The door remained open, he said, because ultimately, all wanted the common good.
He said the parliamentary agenda would continue but he hoped that ultimately the current issue would be resolved.