Nationalist Party to elect new secretary general within weeks

The Nationalist Party could get a new secretary general within a matter of weeks, with the executive committee expected to kickstart the process this week.

Michael Piccinino, the party’s current secretary general, told MaltaToday that he will ask the executive committee during a meeting on Thursday to start the process to elect his successor.

Shortly after, the party will start accepting nominations from candidates.

According to Piccinino, the party will have a new secretary generail within a matter of weeks.

Piccinino announced his decision last September to step down as secretary general and focus on getting elected at the next general election. He served as the party's secretary general for three years.

Shortly after, former PN MP Karl Gouder said he would run for the secretary general position. However, he died two days after the announcement.

The PN’s secretary general acts as the party CEO. The person is responsible for finances and the day-to-day running of the organisation and is often also involved in political strategy and policy drafting.

The person is elected by the party’s executive committee.

A three-horse race

Three candidates intend on contesting the election to replace Piccinino: Stefan Caruana, Charles Bonello and Liam Sciberras.

Caruana has been the party’s executive organisational secretary since 2023. He occupies the role on a voluntary basis – a role that functions as the assistant to the general secretary. He had contested the 2022 general elections but was unsuccessful.

Caruana is also the nephew of slain PN activist Raymond Caruana.

Bonello is a Fgura councillor and the president of the PN’s College of Councillors. He was the private secretary to Lawrence Gonzi and continues to assist him as his personal assistant.

Sciberras in the PN’s minority leader on the Santa Luċija local council. He has served on the council for nine years and. During the June election he won almost twice as many first-count votes as the Labour mayor Charmaine St John.