The Nationalist Party’s executive committee will be meeting this evening to set the leadership contest parameters, following Simon Busuttil’s decision to step down after the general election defeat.
Although the process is set to be completed by mid-September in time for the party’s annual Independence activities, sources told the Times of Malta the rest of the vacant positions would not be filled before October.
This is due to the fact that the election of the two new deputy leaders and the members of the new party administration, since all incumbents resigned along with Dr Busuttil, could only take place once the leadership contest was over.
Today’s meeting had originally been planned for tomorrow but had to be moved ahead due to the European People’s Party summit in Brussels, which Dr Busuttil will be attending.
Though all Nationalist MPs can attend meetings of the executive committee – which comprises 77 members – only 13 have the right to vote, excluding the two deputy leaders and Dr Busuttil.
The other members hail from various party organs, sectional committees and the general council.
Party insiders said this time around the leadership contest would present an unprecedented challenge in the wake of the 2014 statute amendments. The leader and the two deputies now have to be elected by paid up members who would have been on the party’s books for at least two years.
Though the exact number of those eligible to vote is yet to be determined, it is estimated to be in excess of 20,000.
“This means that the most crucial decision which has to be taken this evening is the appointment of the electoral commission because it will preside over a contest the size of which he has never been seen before in a Maltese political party,” the insiders noted.
“For this reason, the executive will have to factor in the logistical preparations involved to organise the ballot before coming out with election dates,” they added.
Once appointed, the commission is set to start vetting the list of party members – even those who on paper are eligible to vote.
“Anyone who has been a paid-up member for years but who recently joined another party will not be allowed to vote,” they said.
This scenario was brought to the fore a few days ago, when Democratic Party leader Marlene Farrugia testified in court that, prior to being elected as a Labour MP in both 2008 and 2013 elections, she had been a PN life member since 1998.
While speculation on those touted to be interested in the party leadership has been rife from the moment the PN lost the election, none of those being mentioned, such as MPs Claudio Grech and Chris Said or MEP Roberta Metsola, have committed themselves.
According to the new rules, the leadership candidates will have to be whittled down to two through a vote taken by the party general council, which has about 1,500 delegates. It is only then that party members enter the scene.
MEP David Casa has already expressed his interest in running for general secretary but PN sources said it was still early days to focus on such a contest.
“The election of the party’s administration will be the last phase of the party’s renewal process as this may only take place once the new leader and his two deputies are in place,” they said.
“This is not expected to happen before the end of September.”
Unlike the leadership posts, the administration is elected directly by the executive committee in a special session behind closed doors.