Marlene Farrugia resigns from Partit Demokatiku leader

Marlene Farrugia yesterday announced that she has resigned from the post of Partit Demokratiku leader.

In a Facebook post she said that she intended to give her formal resignation after the new Nationalist Party leader is elected, but she did so on Sunday to speed up the process of regeneration in her own party.

She said that she has resigned from the leadership in a letter sent to the secretary general, and said she will remain active in the party until the PD agenda remains focused on the people’s needs, not those of small groups.

Farrugia had declared her intentions not to contest for the post of leader when the party’s annual general meeting is convened in October.

“The political scene needs a lot of new blood, to work shoulder to shoulder with those politicians who have experience,” she said

She said that in a year, a lot has happened, including the PL government having to call an early election.

“They bought back power through the peoples’ money.” She criticised the Labour party and their “propaganda machine,” calling it a dynamo of lies. “Campaign financing was not a problem for Muscat and Co, and you can imagine why,” Farrugia stated.

She said that she noticed the PN was weak early on, “regardless of having an honest and capable leader. The PN cliques cutting each other up in the open now, were from that time cutting up the PN from the inside.”

She said that there were people who were preparing to make a leap in their political careers after the PN lost.

“While knowing all this, it was clear that the only challenge we could have posed to the corrupt government would be through a united opposition.”

She said the PD tried to unite with the opposition and that the people respected and appreciated this.

“We kept to the principle that we want the country to be governed well, with respect.”

She said she will remain an active member as long as there is need, and until the PD agenda remains the peoples’ agenda, and not an agenda of a chosen few. “The PD was created to move the national interest forward,” she said.

“We never entered politics to take, we entered to give more than we were already giving in the name of our respective communities. We will continue doing this as long as you lend us your strength.”

She appealed to nationalists who feel confused, and labourites who, “realised Muscat stole their vote, and those people who have the country at heart, to remain united together, regardless of who the new leaders of the opposition factions will be.

“If the opposition collapses, we will lose what we have benefitted from since independence, 50 years ago.

“Be courageous, do not be afraid. We passed through difficult times and grew stronger because of them. That is what we will do again.”

Last week, Anthony Buttigieg, who was deputy leader and resigned after Marlene Farrugia did not rule out contesting for the Nationalist Party leadership, said he will be contesting the post of leader in October.

Godfrey Farrugia, on the other hand, said he had no interest in running for the post and would focus on consolidating PD’s presence in Parliament.