Former Nationalist Party Secretary General Clyde Puli and his fellow PN MPs Kristy Debono and Mario Galea have announced that they will not be contesting the forthcoming general election.
Puli had already been listed on the PN’s website as a candidate on the 6th and 7th districts, while Galea was listed as a candidate on the 3rd district and Debono was listed on the 9th district.
They are not the only current MPs who will not be seeking re-election: Therese Commodini Cachia has already announced that she would not be seeking re-election.
Puli, Debono, and Galea had all in the past supported Bernard Grech's predecessor, Adrian Delia, in the leadership election that characterised the PN's internal struggles a couple of years ago. They cited differing personal reasons for their decision, although Galea criticised the practice of "discarding" experienced MPs based on the simple fact that they had served in Parliament for a long time.
Puli has been in parliament for four legislatures and also served three local council terms as Qormi mayor, besides a number of internal appointments within the PN, including secretary general under Adrian Delia’s leadership of the party, and said that he wanted to dedicate more time to his family and to other personal projects.
In a letter sent to Bernard Grech, which he shared on his Facebook page, Puli thanked all the leaders he had worked under, but reserved particular mention for Eddie Fenech Adami, Lawrence Gonzi, and Adrian Delia.
He said that he had always worked with integrity, loyalty, and determination, and augured Grech and the rest of the party every success in the general election and beyond.
“I appeal to you to sustain the principles which make us what we are”, he said, making special reference to the party’s position on abortion, that the party must protect every human life from beginning to end.
“Our mission as a party has to be to persuade people about the noble aims that our party exists for, rather than gaining power by compromising on our principles. There is nothing noble about the artificiality and alienation of selfie politics. I am convinced that our party has the capability and will to get onto the right road, which is not necessarily the easy road,” he added.
In a statement, the Labour Party said that the departure of these three MPs is a reflection of the sorry state in which the PN finds itself.
These three candidates backed former leader Adrian Delia, and it is significant that they withdrew their candidacy on the first day of the electoral campaign.
Their departure is a sign that the clique that put Bernard Grech at the top will continue to dictate the PN's agenda and make it difficult for Nationalists to work in their own party.
On her part, Debono said that she would be bringing to a close her 17 years working with the PN in order to balance her life towards her family and to hand the baton on to newer candidates.
“I am not one who believes in half-baked measures, never had and never will and it is therefore, that with a heavy heart and with much thoughtful consideration, against my leader’s wishes, my colleagues and my canvassers, I took the decision not to remain in the partisan political front line. It is time to balance my life more towards my family, whilst remaining fully committed to voice my opinions and contribute in matters most dear to me,” Debono said in her own Facebook post.
“It is also the opportune time to take this decision and give an opportunity by passing the baton to new candidates as part of the process for the Party to regenerate in its ideas and its protagonists,” she added.
She said that she was indebted to the party and to leaders Gonzi, Delia, and Grech who had entrusted her with important roles within the party and representing major economic sectors.
Galea meanwhile said that in recent weeks he had reflected on what is best for the party: whether he should seek re-election or give more space for new blood within the party.
Galea has been an MP since 1992, representing the third district.
He said that he had followed the discussion on whether established MPs should make way for new blood off their own accord, something which Grech had expressed himself in favour of, and said that in his personal opinion the parliamentary group requires a balanced mix of experience and new blood.
He said that above all else, in every election he had contested he always had new, younger candidates on the ballot sheet with him, and that that choice of who should be an MP rests with the people.
“I also believe that whoever dedicated their live to the party and country with the utmost of honesty should not be discarded for the simple fact that he has been elected for a long time,” Galea said.
He agreed that politics requires new blood, but said that the most important thing is to have candidates with values and principles and who see politics only as a means of providing service to the people.
He thanked his constituents and the people around him for their constant support.
In a short statement, Bernard Grech thanked the trio for their years of service towards the country and the Nationalist Party.
“The three have decided not to contest the next election, for several personal reasons. The party thanks them for their ongoing support and contribution and wishes them well,” the party said in its statement.