A commission tasked to propose changes to the Nationalist Party’s statute has concluded its report, according to general secretary Chris Said.

The report is now in the hands of the party’s top brass and a draft will be released for public consultation shortly.

Dr Said was being interviewed on the Radio 101, the PN station, this morning by TVM journalist David Bonello.

He said a general council will be held in January to approve the statute changes.

The commission was led by veteran MP Francis Zammit Dimech and was set up by party leader Simon Busuttil before the summer.

Dr Said did not elaborate on what changes were proposed but insisted the openness the party had shown when it agreed to support the Civil Unions Bill, should be reflected in the statute. As a result of the suggested changes, Dr Said noted, various commissions will be created and changes made to the party structure.

Earlier in the programme, Dr Busuttil made a short telephone intervention from Brussels where he is taking part in a meeting of the European People’s Party.

Asked about the EU council’s conclusions last week on the issue of immigration, Dr Busuttil said that by the Prime Minister’s own gauge the country had achieved nothing.

“The Prime Minister has obtained absolutely zero results for now... the summit conclusions were actually a step backward because there was no reference at all to Malta’s specific situation in the final wording,” Dr Busuttil said.

He insisted the summit conclusions also made no reference to burden sharing and relocation of immigrants. “Under previous PN governments we had 700 migrants relocated to other countries but in seven months since Muscat has been prime minister zero migrants were relocated.”

Dr Busuttil criticised the Prime Minister’s style of negotiating, adding immigration was a complicated matter and solutions could not be found by “giving interviews to CNN and stamping one’s feet”.

The Opposition leader said the PN will this week “vehemently oppose” the Government proposal to sell citizenship to wealthy foreigners. The Government wants the controversial law to be discussed and voted upon in Parliament this week.

The PN is against the scheme, arguing that it should be amended so that citizenship is granted to foreigners who invest in the country and create jobs rather than to those who can afford to buy it.