PN MP Robert Arrigo has confirmed he will be contesting the post of PN Deputy Leader for Party Affairs in an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday.

Pointing towards the effects of the last general election and political CV as the reason behind his decision to take on the role, Arrigo said that he is sure that he could "put 150% of [his] time and energy" into achieving substantial change for the party by introducing "a totally different concept" for the role of Deputy Leader.

Arrigo, a former Mayor of Sliema who has continuously increased his vote count since being first elected to Parliament in 2008, refrained from announcing his support for any of the four candidates for the PN Leadership, saying that "they all have their pros and cons" and that he was "happy to hear that all four contestants recognise that change is needed."

He said that it was imperative that he remained independent from any of the potential candidates, and insisted that it was time the party moved away from the clique (klikka) mentality.

 "A klikka has a lot of consequences and should not be acceptable in any political party. I belong to the flag. The worst thing about a klikka is the people you leave out."

"Normally people go around in circles with their support, but I want to make a decisive choice, notwithstanding who can win. I am willing to work on the concept with any of the four contestants."

The full interview will be published in this Sunday's edition, and features Arrigo outlining his vision for the role of the Deputy Leader and the party,  and giving his perspective on the general election loss and the future of the PN.

As the PN spokesperson for Tourism, Arrigo also provided his opinion on Air Malta and overdevelopment and the effects it could have on the industry.