Marlene Farrugia says PN leadership contest should be open to all members

● Fears it is hijacked by clique

Partit Demokratiku leader Marlene Farrugia believes that her party has the right to be involved in the Nationalist Party leadership race even though PD is a completely different entity.

In comments to The Malta Independent following a press conference on the launch of a PD campaign of rape victims support, Farrugia said that not only she or any member of her party, but every PN member has the right to choose an opposition leader.

“We believe that when a party leader is chosen, everyone should have a say. Because that choice will eventually affect the way the country is run. We have the duty to speak freely.”

Taking into consideration that the PN’s structure does not allow for every party member in Malta to vote for a new PN leader, Farrugia insists that now is the right time to change these structures and open the vote to all members. As things stand, the councillors will choose the best two out of the four contenders and then the members will vote for one of the chosen two.

“If these changes or not made now, if the public is not participating, they will feel excluded. It does not make sense that for a party which suffered two consecutive staggering defeats, such changes do not happen. Until these changes take place and PD, as a new party, starts to grow, the government is free to do whatever it wants with no opposition.”

Farrugia also said she believes that this leadership election has already been hijacked by the usual clique. “Widen the voting process if you want to have a real change,” she added.

Marlene Farrugia’s fresh comments come only a couple of days after calling on the PN to suspend the leadership race and to have PD involved further.