“He has not decided yet whether to contest on more than one district,” sources close to the Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi have told this newspaper about the PM’s hesitation over a candidature on two districts.
The PN leader will be definitely contesting the second district which includes Bormla, a Labourite stronghold. But he as yet ‘says’ he is not sure he might contest another district.
As prime minister it is unthinkable that he might choose not to contest another district. But it still has to be seen whether he will be contesting a district to counter Labour leader Alfred Sant, or a district which needs a star candidate.
The PM’s indecisiveness has meant many Nationalist candidates are reconsidering all possible scenarios for their electoral campaigns if Lawrence Gonzi decides to parachute into their district. It could mean changing their strategies by asking voters to give their first preference vote to the prime minister, and ask for a second-preference vote – rather than actively going for the first preference vote.
And if Gonzi decides to counter Alfred Sant, he will have to choose between the first or eighth districts.
In the first district the star PN candidate is minister Austin Gatt, whereas in the eighth district, the number of star candidates include ministers Tonio Borg and Tonio Fenech, and President Eddie Fenech Adami’s son Beppe, who will be standing for the first time.
Alternatively the PM could focus on a completely new territory – and this may well be the tenth district, which includes Rabat, where parliamentary secretary Tony Abela has had to weather some bad press in the last two years in what is traditionally a Nationalist stronghold.