Top Story • November 23 2003

PN plans to push Louis Galea for President

The PN leadership chess game is unleashed. The boys at Pieta have revealed a blue print for the replacement of Guido de Marco, the President of the Republic, who hopes to stand for election as a member of the European parliament.
The ‘lucky’ appointee is Dr Louis Galea, the education minister whose own aspirations lean towards the leadership of the Nationalist party. The education minister has had to suffer the backlash of allegations regarding irregularities in the issuing of tenders in the auxiliary workers’ scheme, and much more recently that of direct orders from the Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools. The Mqabba born lawyer will be 54 years of age next year.
By kicking him upstairs, the Nationalist party hopes to make the annointment of Fenech Adami’s chosen one easier and less bloody.
Four to five names continue to surface as those running for the post of PN leader. They include: Lawrence Gonzi, Austin Gatt, Francis Zammit Dimech, Tonio Borg and John Dalli.
The party machinery at Pieta has accused the Labour party of employing dirty tricks in the election of their new leaders, but conveniently conceals the internal plan revealed today in MaltaToday.
The favourite contender for the post of leader is Lawrence Gonzi. Most but not all of the party apparatchiks believe that the charismatic Marsaskala lawyer stands the best chance in winning another national election and is the best candidate for ensuring continuity to the Fenech Adami doctrine.
The other contenders who can concretely offer a fight are John Dalli and Austin Gatt. But the administration at Pietà has other plans. They have configured the vacancies of deputy leader and EU commissioner will be the appropriate positions for the two men.
Needless to say the thinking process follows the doctrine that prevailed in the Nationalist party over the last 20 years. That is to award unwelcome competitors with appointments away from the political limelight or centre of power.
This approach was applied with former minister George Bonello Dupuis who was packed off to London as High Commissioner, as well as to Dr Ugo Mifsud Bonnici who ended his far from remarkable ministerial post at the education ministry to take up the Presidency. And finally the same thinking was masterminded for Guido de Marco who closed his career as Foreign minister to be relegated to the symbolic role and rather ineffectual posting as President of the Republic.
This game of chess considered to be a closely guarded secret at PN headquarters could well take fruition if all the heavyweights indicated take a bite at the bait. Otherwise it could well be a very different story.