Godfrey Farrugia ‘not interested’ in Partit Demokratiku leadership
Partit Demokratiku MP Godfrey Farrugia yesterday said he was not interested in the race for the party leadership, ending speculation that he would be taking up the seat that will be vacated by his partner Marlene Farrugia.
The latter announced earlier this week that she would not be contesting the post or any other at the next AGM meeting in October, “to concentrate on other challenges in my life.”
Anthony Buttigieg, who was deputy leader and resigned after Marlene Farrugia did not rule out contesting for the Nationalist Party leadership, said he would be contesting the post of leader. In a Facebook post on Thursday he also said that a bid by Godfrey Farrugia would be a disservice to the party’s founders. “I know he (Godfrey) has expressed he is considering contesting for the leadership himself, and I hope he does. I stand in awe of his humanity, honesty, integrity and knowledge of parliamentary procedure. However, PD was founded on the principles of good governance, sustainable development AND meritocracy. Allowing the partner of the outgoing leader to contest for the leadership alone goes against that last principle and it would be a disservice to the party’s founders, members and those that voted for us in the last election if this were to happen. Whoever eventually becomes PD leader, I sincerely hope they will strive to build the party into the third political force this country so desperately needs,” he wrote.
Less than 24 hours later, Godfrey Farrugia uploaded a lengthy Facebook post in which he said: “At this stage , I am not interested in contesting the leadership of this party, not least because we have capable others willing and able to take on that responsibility while I consolidate PD presence in the highest institution in the land.”
The family doctor said a life in politics was not easy. “The demands of the constituency, preparation for parliamentary sittings and debates, as well as combatting a steamrolling, media platform-controlling government with my very limited resources are a challenge if ever there was one. Family and friends repeatedly ask me the same questions; ‘You are being hung, drawn and quartered by your opponents. Your colleagues, incensed by your resilience, occasionally, knowingly or unknowingly, shamelessly join in the bloodbath. Don’t you feel the pain? Is it worth it? Why do you do it?
What fires your unflinching enthusiasm? Where is this mysterious gorge from which your motivation flows unabated?’
And I meet these questions and many others with the same simple answer. I love this miniscule group of rocks jutting out from the heart of the Mediterranean Sea. Malta, Gozo, Comino and their rocklets are my home. They are home to my ancestors whose legacy we now live, and I’m hoping against hope that they will be home to my children and grandchildren, whose lives will, in turn depend on the legacy we are currently knitting, weaving, casting and welding for them.
I want my grandchildren, your grandchildren, to have the opportunities I have had in my own country. Simple, beautiful things that matter, like living a healthy life in a clean and balanced environment, having a good job that pays, a level playing field to succeed through hard work and perseverance. Striving for the basic, most important things in life, like the opportunity to live in dignity no matter who and what you are, or what stage of your life you’re in, is important to me.
All this and much more is a challenge I cannot ignore, simply because I have been brought up totally bereft of the faculty to even contemplate to shirk my responsibility for standing up for peace of mind, for standing up for what is right.”
Farrugia said the country had witnessed a meltdown of political standards, with the country “riding high on a frenzy of gorging on the country’s assets.”
“Still, I do believe in miracles if we work for them, and I believe that as a people, our democracy will prevail through this political impasse. The little new political party, The Democratic Party, that made it to Parliament, albeit on the Nationalist Party ticket, is more than ever determined to serve the country, freely and unencumbered by compromising deals with third parties.
With two experienced MPs and an impending total overhaul of the PD leadership and executive, the country is going to acquire precisely what it needs: new, fresh, reliable people spearheading the growth of this political endeavour outside parliament, while echoing the voice of our communities and society within parliament.”