Godfrey Farrugia ‘not interested’ in PD leadership

Partit Demokratiku MP Godfrey Farrugia has poured cold water on the possibility of him running for leader of the party in the PD’s upcoming Annual General Meeting.

In a Facebook post uploaded on Friday morning, Farrugia said that he had made his decision because there were others who were capable of taking up the role.

“At this stage, I am not interested in contesting the Leadership of the party, not least because we have capable others willing and able to take on that responsibility while I consolidate PD presence in the highest institution in the land,” wrote the Zebbug doctor.

He stressed that despite its small size, the PD was more determined than ever to serve the country “freely and unencumbered by compromising deals with third parties”.

“With two experienced Members of Parliament, and an impending total overhaul of the Leadership and Executive of this budding political force, the country is going to acquire precisely what it needs: new, fresh, reliable people spearheading the growth of this political endeavour outside parliament, while echoing the voice of our communities and society within parliament.”

According to Farrugia, the PD was a party with no baggage weighing it down, and was one which would be run by citizens “everyone can work with”.

In the lengthy post, Farrugia said that he considered a life in politics to be difficult, especially given the “demands of the constituency, preparation for parliamentary sittings and debates, as well as combatting a steamrolling media platform and controlling government” with very difficult resources.

He accused the government of “riding high on a frenzy of gorging on the country's assets” while the construction industry “blazes forward like a lost asteroid”.

“Government officials under criminal investigation, barging on with the country's most lucrative projects, disappearing whistle blowers, and a parliamentary agenda now hellbent on appeasing the pimping mentality further by the normalisation of increased objectification of women,” continued Farrugia.

Turning to the Nationalist Party, Farrugia said he still believed in miracles as long as the country worked for them.

“I believe that as a people, our democracy will prevail through this political impasse,” said Farrugia.

Farrugia, together with his partner and current PD leader Marlene Farrugia were elected to parliament in the June general election on a Nationalist Party ticket, after having both been elected to parliament as Labour Party MPs in 2013. 

So far, only former PD deputy leader Anthony Buttigieg has declared his intention to contest the post in the upcoming AGM. The post will be made available as current leader Marlene Farrugia last week announced that she would not be seeking re-election.