PN leadership: Perici Calascione secures Ivan Bartolo’s endorsement

Former Nationalist Party candidate Ivan Bartolo has endorsed Alex Perici Calascione for leader of the PN, believing him to be the best-placed candidate to deliver a winning formula.

The CEO of Idox Health, which bought out his IT company 6PM earlier this year, said in a Facebook post that integrity was a quality that inspired and attracted him to people.

“From what I heard, from the body language I witnessed and from analyzing the key messages I heard, I personally believe that this man has what it takes to FINISH WHAT WE STARTED,” he wrote.

“While I believe no one is bigger than the party, Alex is no doubt an experienced, calm and well paced catalyst that has the ability to deliver the much needed winning formula.”

Perici Calascione, the party’s outgoing treasurer, is vying to replace Simon Busuttil as PN leader in September in a four-way race with Adrian Delia, Chris Said and Frank Portelli.

Bartolo missed out on a by-election following the 3 June general election after the PN executive committee decided that Robert Arrigo give up his seat on the 10th district, keeping the ninth.

That decision not to open the votes on District 9, even though it was possible, was not taken kindly by Bartolo, who took to Facebook to express his regret at the decision.

“My short career in politics comes to an end today. The executive members of the PN decided to vote to keep the ninth district closed,” he had written. “I thank all those who believed in a fresh look, in a new beginning and in new progressive positive ideas. Politics is no longer on my radar.”