Nationalist MP Charlò Bonnici surprisingly emerged yesterday as a contender for the PN secretary general post by submitting his nomination, The Malta Independent has learnt.
His name had never featured before as a possible candidate.
Mr Bonnici admitted that he had been thinking in private for quite a while. “This may be seen as somewhat of a surprise to many people. A number of members of the executive committee approached me towards the end of last week, encouraging me to contest the post,” he said.
Mr Bonnici, 41, was elected to Parliament for the first time this year in a casual election, but has been involved in politics for the past 20 years.
He has occupied various posts in government ministries, and he was a member of the party’s executive committee and the Attard PN committee. Last year he was elected Attard deputy mayor.
Mr Bonnici has also been involved in the media, and also held the post of Maltasong chairman in the past.
Nominations for the PN secretary general post opened on Monday, but it is only Mr Bonnici who has submitted his nomination so far.
Yesterday, The Malta Independent reported that only Valletta mayor Paul Borg Olivier has officially declared, at the party’s last general council, that he would be standing for the post of secretary general.
PN information officer Jean Pierre Debono will also be contesting one of the posts in the 27 June election.
Another potential contender for secretary general, lawyer Karol Aquilina, said when contacted on Monday that he was unable to comment on the matter for the time being.
The party’s rules stipulate that, in order to run in the election, a candidate needs to be on the national executive council and be nominated by at least two council members.
Mr Bonnici explained that being an MP, he is also a member of the PN executive council. He said he would still be able to retain his post as MP should he be elected party secretary general.
In addition to the election of a new secretary general, who would be tasked with steering the party through the next five years toward what the party hopes would be a fourth consecutive general election victory, a number of other key administrative posts will also be in the ring on 27 June.
These include the post of assistant secretary general, international secretary, treasurer, executive committee president and administration council president. The nomination period for these posts remains open until Friday.