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Lawrence Gonzi to resign PN leadership in next General Council
Outgoing prime minister will not ask PN councillors to reconfirm him as leader in post-election poll.
10 March 2013, 12:00am
Jurgen Balzan
Jurgen Balzan
2 min read
Outgoing prime minister Lawrence Gonzi said he will step down from the party leadership in three months' time.
Addressing a press conference at the PN's headquarters after conceding defeat to Labour leader Joseph Muscat, Gonzi was categorical about taking full responsiblity personally for the PN's overwhelming defeat.
In three months, the PN will initiate the process to elect a new leader, a process which Gonzi said he "would not participate in", which means he will stay on as party leader until the party's General Council is convened.
"I shoulder the responsibility personally and completely," Gonzi said, adding that PM must undergo a process of "radical renewal" without forgetting its core values.
Asked to elaborate, Gonzi said "I will not resign immediately because the party must renew itself, thoroughly. I will not submit my nomination for the leadership contest. Within three months from every election, the PN must confirm its leader by statute. However, I will not participate in this confirmation process."
Gonzi was repeatedly asked whether deputy leader Simon Busuttil, who assumed the second-in-command's post in December 2012, and PN secretary-general Paul Borg Olivier should also take responsiblity for the defeat. But the PN leader was adamant that the PN's loss - garnering just 42% of the national vote - was his responsiblity alone.
Gonzi conceded defeat within 30 minutes of the start of vote-counting in the 2013 general elections, after sampling results gave Labour a reported 55% victory.
In a message on the PN's website, Gonzi thanked the Maltese electorate for their participation in the elections.
"I pledge that my colleagues and I will serve the Maltese people wholeheartedly from the Opposition benches in Parliament. As we have served to the best of our capabilities in Government, we will now do this from Opposition," he said.
Gonzi served two legislatures as prime minister from 2004, when he was elected PN leader.
He said the PN's defeat, was "an opportunity for renewal of [the] party."
Gonzi congratulated Labour leader Joseph Muscat, 39, who will be sworn in as Prime Minister tomorrow.
"He now carries a heavy burden. I look forward to seeing the Nationalist Party cooperate fully with the Labour government in ensuring Malta continues to create new jobs, educate and train our youngsters to the maximum, and that it invests further in health services, while the quality of life improves.
"Naturally, I fully respect the vote of all those who have voted Labour, AD or Independent yesterday as well as those who decided to abstain. I accept your decision with humility," Gonzi said.
The PN leader also thanked those who had contributed to the government and to the Nationalist Party. "I have seen many generous and genuine people who have worked very hard and our defeat is certainly not their fault. Huge and heartfelt thanks to all of you who have voted for the Nationalist Party yesterday. My message to all of you is courage; we shall continue to strive to represent you with positive, useful and effective initiatives in Parliament."
Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.
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With all due respect to Dr. GOnzi,
No great leader sends his soldiers to battle and suffer while he remains in camp and eating his heart out. Remenmber Alexander the Great, Napoleon,
Nelson,Rommel, Patton.
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"""They worked against all odds. But the result is not the fault of a single person. I shoulder the result totally and completely," Gonzi said, """
Sorry to say another contradiction in the same sentence.
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Gonzi - your policy was Malta for your own family and friends. Joseph gave Malta back to us the citizens. You can no more contribute in opposition than you did as prime minister. In opposition PN has always worked against the country and try to sabotage and destroy our work. You need to be gone, you and De Marco and Gatt and Delia and Claudio Grech and Tonio Fenech and David Aguis, Paul Borg Olivier and Busutill and the network of malice and corruption that your party has built. Bring back Franco Debono if you want to rebuild the party.
Gonzi - today we took our country back. Tomorrow we take our money back.
PN Supporters, look deep inside your hearts, so many of your fellow Maltese citizens cannot all the wrong. We have had enough of the prejudice, the malice, the vindictiveness and above all the corruption. This is your country too.
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Finally, Gonzi is taking a right decision. He should resign for the simple reason that under his watch he let the PN be highjacked by a clique that sought only their own personal interests. He was either too weak to stop this infiltration or maybe, just maybe, he was part of the clique. I certainly hope he was not part of the clique. I prefer to think that he was weak, still, this is a very strong reason for him to resign. On his watch he managed to drive the PN into one of the most humiliating defeats in history. If this is not a reason to resign , what is?
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Finally, Gonzi is taking a right decision. He should resign for the simple reason that under his watch he let the PN be highjacked by a clique that sought only their own personal interests. He was either too weak to stop this infiltration or maybe, just maybe, he was part of the clique. I certainly hope he was not part of the clique. I prefer to think that he was weak, still, this is a very strong reason for him to resign. On his watch he managed to drive the PN into one of the most humiliating defeats in history. If this is not a reason to resign , what is?
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Finally, Gonzi is taking a right decision. He should resign for the simple reason that under his watch he let the PN be highjacked by a clique that sought only their own personal interests. He was either too weak to stop this infiltration or maybe, just maybe, he was part of the clique. I certainly hope he was not part of the clique. I prefer to think that he was weak, still, this is a very strong reason for him to resign. On his watch he managed to drive the PN into one of the most humiliating defeats in history. If this is not a reason to resign , what is?
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Finally, Gonzi is taking a right decision. He should resign for the simple reason that under his watch he let the PN be highjacked by a clique that sought only their own personal interests. He was either too weak to stop this infiltration or maybe, just maybe, he was part of the clique. I certainly hope he was not part of the clique. I prefer to think that he was weak, still, this is a very strong reason for him to resign. On his watch he managed to drive the PN into one of the most humiliating defeats in history. If this is not a reason to resign , what is?
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gonzi game over, you are the repeter now.
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Shameon you GonziPn u hameon you Simon Busuttil min hawn nibhat messag li WE sabiexjghamlu il wisgha min Xandir Nazzjonali mil laktar fiss halli nibdew andir ta Malta Ilkoll u inatfu il Hmieg u L'arroganza Grassa
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Shameon you GonziPn u hameon you Simon Busuttil min hawn nibhat messag li WE sabiexjghamlu il wisgha min Xandir Nazzjonali mil laktar fiss halli nibdew andir ta Malta Ilkoll u inatfu il Hmieg u L'arroganza Grassa
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Messag lil ex Prim Ministru Laurence Gonzi
Wara it tkaxkira li hadu Gonzi PN and Co nixtieq nadilek dan il Messag wara ir Rezultat li hareg hareg bic car li inti u siehbek Simon intom lakbar zewg giddibin u nies bla Krettu Shame on you Both of you
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quite right THING TO DO after an omilberated MELT DOWN...and years of arrogant political unpopular policies, SHAME FOR ALL of THOSE WHO WERE PART OF THIS.I HOPE THAT THE NEW PRIME MINISTER WILL RECOGNIZE ALL THOSE WHO DROVE SO MANY MALTESE INTO POVERTY.
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I recall an interview with Dr Lawrence Gonzi in the Sunday Circle (if I remember correctly) shortly after hecame PN leader and PM!
The interviewer asked a very intense question: 'With Dr Borg Olivier having achieved Independance and Dr Fenech Adami having taken Malta into Europe: what would you wish to be remembered for?'
Diplomatically Dr Gonzi replied: 'I would like to be remembered for having left the country stronger than where I found it!'
Sadly, Dr Gonzi will be remembered for having conceeded the most dramatic electoral defeat in modern PN history!
The writings where on the wall! The 2008 result was as clear as crystal! The electorate decided that it was time to opt for the alternative!
I believe that Dr Gonzi is an honest person and I have no doubt that his commitment was 100% at all times. He was ill advised on many issues that a part of the electorate was not prepared to forgive!
Congrats to Dr Joseph Muscat for a clear cut and staggering victory and thank you Dr Lawrence Gonzi for your service!
