No one will shed tears for Simon Busuttil's departure from politics, according to the spokesman for the Office of the Prime Minister, who wrote a scathing opinion piece about the outgoing Nationalist Party leader.

"Busuttil does not deserve any praise. Not just for the sake of the PN but also for the sake of the country," Kurt Farrugia wrote in today's Talking Point, published in Times of Malta. 

Dr Busuttil is bowing out as Nationalist Party leader after the June 3 election defeat but he has kept up his relentless mission to prove what he has described as the government's corrupt practices. On Thursday, chief of staff Keith Schembri filed a criminal complaint against Dr Busuttil calling on the police to investigate the Opposition leader for filing a false report in court, perjury and lying. The PN leader dismissed the complaint as "fascist tactics".

Kurt Farrugia

"The reality is Simon Busuttil was a weak leader who ran a single-issue campaign. Busuttil's problems come down to personality – which he imposed on his party – and inexistent policy. He literally ran the PN into the ground," Mr Farrugia wrote. 

Any one of the 2013 party leadership contenders, or even his "very decent predecessor" (Lawrence Gonzi), would have done a better job than him, he added.

"It is not by coincidence that a large majority of voters feared the idea of Busuttil winning. It was because they saw him as divisive, weak and vacillating. He was perceived as fake."

Mr Farrugia said Dr Busuttil leaves a "shameful legacy" and that except for the "coterie" around him, no one will shed tears for his departure.

"The country will be relieved to see Busuttil's back. A breath of fresh air for local politics. This is a great week for politics in Malta."

Four candidates have come forward to replace Dr Busuttil at the helm of the Nationalist Party. The new leader is expected to be elected in September.