The mayor of Valletta, Paul Borg Olivier, is so far the only declared candidate for the post of Nationalist Party secretary-general, as the other names touted as possible successors have either ruled out their interest or remained noncommittal.
On the other hand, Marthese Portelli ruled out any interest in the post after she was named as the Gonzi favourite.
Portelli, 32, a PN councillor in Xaghra, told MaltaToday she was not interested in taking over Joe Saliba’s post.
Speaking at the party’s general conference last Sunday, Borg Olivier announced his candidature, saying he was ready to offer his services to the party.
“I’ve decided to go for it after a period of personal reflection and discussing it with several people,” he reiterated yesterday when contacted.
Another newcomer, Karol Aquilina, yesterday declined to confirm his intentions as he stuck to a “no comment”, while Pierre Portelli reiterated his definitive “no” to the question of whether he was interested.
MEP Simon Busuttil and Beppe Fenech Adami had refused to run for the post after being touted as possible successors.
On Friday, the PN elected 13 members to its administrative council, among Borg Olivier, from which the new secretary-general will be elected by the administrative and executive committees.
Meanwhile Borg Olivier yesterday also said he agreed with the point made by Parliamentary Secretary Joe Cassar, who called for the division of the role of secretary-general – which should be a strictly political post – from that of commercial administrator.
“There’s no doubt that the role of secretary general has expanded to that of political and commercial administration, and having someone dedicated to the commercial aspect would be a great help,” he said. “What Joe Cassar proposed makes sense and I have always contended in favour of that point. Having said that, I believe Joe Saliba has always managed both roles very well.”