Businessman Raymond Bugeja this morning presented his candidature for PN leader pitching himself as a candidate who represented the party's grassroots.

He said he would not be carrying out a sensationalist media campaign and there would be no marketing or slogans.

The country needed a strong party to offer the people a viable electoral choice and he believed he could be the person who would turn the party into one of the people and of the grass roots, rather than one of the inner core.

Mr Bugeja said that his nomination came after he observed the strong message that came from the public following the electoral defeat.

He declined to give comments saying he would not be using the media in a tedious way throughout the campaign.

His work, he said, was to speak to councillors and not the media.

PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier said that Mr Bugeja’s nomination showed that the Nationalist party was open to all its members. He wished Mr Bugeja all the best.

Other nominations were presented by Simon Busuttil and Francis Zammit Dimech. Mario de Marco shall be presenting his nomination later today.