Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Harry Vassallo's announcement that he will be tendering his resignation did not surprise party officials.
Speaking to The Times, both party general secretary Victor Galea and economy and finances spokesman Edward Fenech pointed out that Dr Vassallo had made it clear he would be resigning if not elected to Parliament.
In fact, Mr Fenech said, the AD chairman would also have resigned if elected because the party's policy is to avoid having an elected representative as party leader, thus making the resignation inevitable.
On Monday, Dr Vassallo said he will be handing in his resignation at the party's next meeting, expressing the wish that this will be accepted. He said that, although he would stay on if the party asked him to do so, he would very much like to serve the party as a foot soldier rather than in the role of leader.
Asked whether the party should accept Dr Vassallo's resignation, Mr Fenech said this depended on whether there was anyone else to take his place. "It is a terrible position - you make a ridiculously small amount of money and work more than an average MP. You have to be a bit of a hero to take up that post."
AD deputy chairman Stephen Cachia did not want to comment when asked the same question, saying he understood the toll that leading AD had taken on Dr Vassallo's personal life, so it was still premature to say whether the resignation would be accepted or not. He did acknowledge there were a number of other "very valid people" in AD to carry on Dr Vassallo's work but would not be drawn into revealing who these were.
Mr Fenech ruled out contesting the leadership post, saying he was "completely out" even if nominated.
Neither is Mr Galea interested, although he would first look at the interests of the party.
Mr Cachia said the party needs to look at the electoral system, which is not at all favourable towards minority parties. "The present system is a hotchpotch and there should be a reform which is fair to everyone."
Asked whether AD would be pushing for electoral reform, Mr Cachia recalled that, before Saturday's election, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said he would hopefully change this in the upcoming legislature. Mr Cachia appealed to Dr Gonzi to keep his word.
AD also needs to take a look at itself and the electoral situation in which it is operating, he said. "We should be given the credit that we have been battling against all the odds for nearly 20 years. I think we should have a role in Maltese politics and it is positive that many of our issues have been taken on board by the major parties."
Mr Galea said there definitely have to be changes in the party's structure, adding that, in his opinion, the party had to conduct politics differently.
"We need to change our approach to politics and ask whether we should continue behaving like an environmental NGO when people seem not to want this."
Moreover, he continued, one needed to look at whether the party should continue being run by volunteers given that everyone, bar the leader, was unpaid.