News • February 8 2004

The election process

- The General Council is convened for 28 February as decided by the PN executive
- The agenda set by the leader is the election of a new PN leader
- Nominations open tomorrow Monday and close on 14 February
- The election is held on Saturday 28 February. More than 850 councillors are eligible to vote
- If none of the candidates obtains 66 percent of the vote, the candidate with the least votes is eliminated from the race
- Another election is held, and if none of the remaining contestants obtains 66 percent, the candidate with the least number of votes is eliminated. The process is repeated until somebody obtains 66 percent or just two candidates remain in the race
- If none of the remaining two candidates obtains 66 percent the nominations are re-opened
- A second round is held and the electoral process is repeated again
- In the final run off between the last two remaining candidates a simple majority suffices
Composition of the general council
- Party locality clubs: The 67 party clubs and offices each send councillors according to the number of eligible voters in the locality. For every 500 eligible voters the locality club sends one councillor to the general council. This means that Birkirkara, with the biggest voting population would send around 35 councillors. The other big localities are Qormi, Mosta, Sliema, Zabbar and Rabat (Malta). Of particular importance is Gozo where collectively the locality clubs could be sending up to 50 councillors. Councillors appointed by the party clubs could total around 588 making it imperative for any leadership contender to have a solid base among grass roots activists.
- Party sections: The six party sections representing women, youths, pensioners, self employed, workers (Solidarjeta Haddiema) and the college of local councillors, send 15 councillors each to the general council.
- Local councils: Each local council where the PN has elected councillors sends one delegate to the general council.
- Parliamentary group: All Nationalist MPs (35) are general council members
- Party executive: All 13 elected members of the party executive are councillors
- District committees: Each of the 13 electoral district committees sends one councillor
- PN candidates: All candidates approved by the PN executive up to the day when the general council is announced are councillors
- Former leaders: Anybody having occupied the post of leader or deputy leader in the past is considered to be a councillor for life