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Matthew Vella and Karl Schembri
Former Malta-EU Information Centre head Simon Busuttil has accepted to contest the European Parliamentary elections on the Nationalist Party ticket after he was asked to stand for the PN by none other than outgoing Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami. The list of PN candidates is now taking shape, and there are some unexpected faces.
Hoping to flank him at next June’s EP elections on the same PN ticket will be former IVA activist David Casa, who told MaltaToday he was interested in contesting but still awaited the party to approach him and the executive’s approval.
On the other hand, another prominent ex-IVA activist, Joanna Drake, said she was approached by the party to contest, but was still undecided.
Perhaps more surprisingly, the head of the University’s Philosophy Department, Prof. Joe Friggieri, has accepted his former student’s offer to contest with the PN. Prof Friggieri told MaltaToday yesterday that he accepted PN Secretary General Joe Saliba’s offer to contest for the EP, adding that this was still subject to the party executive’s approval. Friggieri used to lecture Saliba at the university not so long ago.
“Yes, I was offered to contest and I accepted,” Prof. Friggieri said.
Friggieri’s, Busuttil’s and Drake’s selection are seen as an attempt to redress any inroads that could be made by the Green candidate, Prof. Cassola with disgruntled middle class Nationalist voters.
Boisterous Net TV journalist Karl Stagno-Navarra also told MaltaToday he was interested in contesting.
The PN may also have at least two Gozitan candidates: Chris Said and Victor Galea Pace, both of whom told MaltaToday they were interested in contesting. The latter was also a backbencher in the 1996 and 1998 legislature and Chris Said is the popular mayor of Nadur. The outgoing President, Guido de Marco, has shown interest in contesting but has not given a clear indication of his intentions.
Former veteran PN minister Michael Falzon and Ian Spiteri Bailey have already publicly stated their interest in contesting the EP elections. Indeed Michael Falzon was one of the first to have indicated his intention to stand for the European elections.
Nationalist MP Michael Frendo has meanwhile ruled out his nomination as people close to him say he expects a post in the next Cabinet.
Even Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech ruled out his candidature, denying a Times report which said he “may be encouraged” to contest for the EP if he lost the deputy leadership contest.
“Definitely not,” Dr Zammit Dimech said yesterday when asked if he was contesting the June elections.
The PN is expected to approve and publish its list of EP candidates this week.
Last week Simon Busuttil decided not to comment on information this newspaper had about a meeting held with Fenech Adami, who has given his blessing for Busuttil to run for MEP. Lawrence Gonzi has also endorsed Busuttil as a PN candidate for the EP, although Busuttil’s nomination has to be confirmed by the PN executive.
Today Busuttil is no longer a MIC official, but serves as a consultant with the Foreign Ministry.
“I intend to resign from my post as of the moment the entire cabinet offers its resignation and a new Prime Minister takes over,” Busuttil said.
Busuttil served as head of the MIC since its inception and formed part of the Maltese core negotiating team in the run-up to the EU referendum. Busuttil was often at the centre of allegations made by the Opposition on the MIC’s alleged spurious objectivity.
Today, aiming for the coveted seat in Brussels, Simon Busuttil says he sees no apparent conflict in representing the PN ticket: “It has been a year since I held a public office, and I don’t think that excludes me from being a candidate. It is my right to run for these elections. I think the experience and knowledge garnered throughout my years as MIC head and member of the core negotiating group can be put to good use.”
Similarly, David Casa said he would have no problem contesting with the PN if the party approved his candidature.
“Last year’s ‘Yes’ campaign had nothing to do with the Nationalist Party and with partisan politics, it was a national campaign for membership,” Mr Casa said. “Now the three parties will have their own lists and I would feel no conflict at all contesting with the PN.”
Dr Joanna Drake said IVA was “far from a partisan PN movement,” adding that it only aligned itself with the party close to the referendum because of the membership cause.
“I would have no problems contesting for the PN now, and in any case now even the MLP is in favour of EU membership,” she said.
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