Marthese Portelli decides not to contest PN leadership election

PN MP Marthese Portelli has decided not to contest the election of the Nationalist Party as it seeks to elect a new leader.

Portelli, a Gozitan MP who is elected on two districts, was encouraged to submit her nomination. She argues that, after giving it a lot of thought, she has decided not to throw her hat in the ring.

Nominations close today and the only three confirmed so far are Chris Said, Adrian Delia and Alex Perici Calascione. It has also been reported that Frank Portelli is seeking 10 signatures required for his nomination.

“I can't deny that I have a lot of pressure to put in my nomination,” Portelli wrote on Facebook.

She said, that people encouraged her to run because she’s one of the very few candidates to get elected on both districts, including the fact that districts in Malta and Gozo are different. Portelli added that people see her as a person who can build bridges “and lead in a way that will help PN become the people's natural choice again”.

“I have given a lot of thought to it. We need to understand people and society more. We need to explain ourselves better. We need to communicate better. We need to take tough decisions. We need to work harder. PN will then be the people's choice again,” Portelli said.

The PN MP pledged to continue working on the ground and reaching out to people and sharing her ideas with those who are “who are genuine at heart and in mind”.