Labour says its piece in PN leadership debate: 'Busuttil wants successor to stick to negative approach'

The Labour Party has insisted that if outgoing PN leader Simon Busuttil were to continue influencing the Nationalist Party, the country and its politics would suffer.

Speaking at a press conference together with deputy prime minister Chris Fearne, Labour Party deputy leader for party affairs Chris Cardona said it was clear that Busuttil was still trying to dictate proceedings, and would continue to do so after a new leader was elected.

"He wants whoever to replace him to stick to the same negative approach," Cardona said. 

Cardona accused Busuttil of persisting with his attacks, adding that the recent "attack" on judge Antonio Mizzi was so "shocking" that the Chamber of Advocates felt the need to issue a statement.

"Simon Busuttil made it clear that the leadership process should attract people that will keep fighting and that he would keep fighting himself, even as a normal citizen," he continued, insisting that Busuttil had "still not understood that politics was not about fighting". 

According to Cardona, Busuttil's negative style had already been rejected by the nation.

Fearne said that electoral result shows PN had made a mistake in electing Busuttil, adding that it seemed likely that the PN intended to continue down the same path and would continue to ignore the message given to it by the nation.

He added that it was clear from the candidates that had opted to contest the leadership race that those who had previously been expected to run had not and that this was due to the fact that they could see the PN was not going to change.

This was evident from the fact that a number of the candidates had already been rejected by the nation in the past, Fearne said.