Former MUMN president Paul Pace is not contesting the post of Forum president, Mr Pace confirmed at the federation's annual general meeting.

He will be replaced by Kevin Bonello, the president of the Malta Union of Teachers, who was the only person to submit his nomination for the post.

A Forum general conference took place earlier this afternoon with the participation of both Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition leader Simon Busuttil.

At the conference, Mr Pace confirmed what The Malta Independent has been reporting for the past weeks that he has another opportunity in the health sector. This has led him not to seek a confirmation as Forum president.

Late last month, this newsroom reported that Mr Pace was to stay on as president of Forum following his surprise resignation as nursing union president until the general conference. This had been confirmed by Chris Attard, president of UPAP. On the same day he resigned as MUMN president, Mr Pace also resigned as Forum president.

At the time, when asked whether he can stay on as president when he resigned from the MUMN – the union he represented until things took a different turn – Mr Pace was quick to make reference to John Bencini’s case who had retired as president of the Malta Union of Teachers but still served as president of Forum.

Earlier this week, The Malta Independent revealed that Mr Pace is expected to head a foreign nursing school which is to open a campus in the confines of St Luke’s hospital.

Pace signs agreement with ministry tied to new role

This newsroom is further informed that yesterday, Mr Pace signed an agreement with the health ministry which confirms he will be overseeing the operations of the nursing school.

Both before and after the agreement was signed, Mr Pace did not comment on his potential head of nursing school position. All he said is that he was involved in talks tied to the nursing school he identified on a personal initiative but remained tight-lipped on his new post.

“So far," he said this week, "I have not been approached by government, but I cannot rule out that the government won’t approach me eventually. I am not Nostradamus,” he said.

Today, this newsroom sent a number of questions by sms to Mr Pace. While replying to this newsroom that he is in a conference, he stopped short of commenting further.

In an interview with this newsroom two days after his resignation, Mr Pace said that he had identified a nursing school in Newcastle which forms part of NorthUmbria University. This had also been confirmed by Health Minister Konrad Mizzi in an exclusive interview with this newsroom a week later.

During the interview, Mr Pace said when asked that he would not simply pounce on any offer and would only accept a highly challenging role in the event he is asked to by the government.

MUMN president confirmed that nursing school talks intensified

MUMN president Maria Cutajar this week confirmed that talks were held between the MUMN and the government on the nursing school.

It was confirmed by her that talks intensified and that the NorthUmbria school will be chosen.