Gonzi needs two-thirds majority to retain PN leadership
The Nationalist Party statute says that anyone can contest leadership election as long as nomination is signed by ten paid members and the winning candidate needs a two-thirds majority of all votes cast.
30 January 2012, 12:00am
Jurgen Balzan
Jurgen Balzan
2 min read
PN leader Lawrence Gonzi has asked PN councillors to vote in a secret ballot to either reconfirm him as leader or choose a new leader. (Photo: Ray Attard/Mediatoday)
The Nationalist party statute stipulates that the winning candidate in a leadership contest needs a two-thirds majority of all votes cast. This also applies if there is only one contestant. In the last round of the 2004 leadership contest, Gonzi gained 808 votes from the 859 cast. The leader is chosen by the party's general council.
Yesterday, Lawrence Gonzi said the contest would be held even if there were no candidates other than himself. However, when asked what kind of threshold he will hold as a target, Gonzi said he would not speculate on whether a threshold should be achieved.
The PN statute also stipulates that anyone can contest the leadership election as long as the nomination is signed by ten regular paid members out of which at least three have to be either members of the party's executive or parliamentary group. The statute does not explain whether a candidate has to be a party member or not, so in theory anyone can contest as long as the nomination is signed by ten party members and accompanied by a signed declaration from the candidate.
During his press conference held after yesterday's general council, Gonzi said the process can take up to two months. The statute says that the "Executive must receive the nominations for the election of the post within two months from when the vacancy in created by a call to that effect." The statute however also says that "nominations must be received by the secretary general not later than ten days before the meeting is called (to receive nominations and set a date for the election)."
It is not clear whether Gonzi has effectively resigned as party leader. The statute says that a leadership contest is held when a "vacancy is created". However, asked about this matter during yesterday's press conference, Gonzi said "I have not resigned. I will still carry out my duties as Prime Minister. As party leader I have asked the party councillors to scrutinise my leadership. It will be an open contest and whoever was critical of my leadership can freely contest the leadership contest."
The statute does not stipulate a timeframe for the election itself. The dates and time for the election is decided by the Executive. If more than one person contests the leadership race and nobody obtains the two-thirds majority of votes cast, as happened in 2004, multiple elections are held in order to narrow the field down to two candidates, by eliminating the candidate with the lowest number of votes each time.
The general council is composed of the executive committee, the parliamentary group, MEPs, party members chosen by the sectional committees, voting members on the executive committees of the various party sections, one PN local councillor from each locality and approved candidates for the general and European parliament elections.
Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.
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but he also need all his members of parliament on the goverments bench i think???????.
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Rumours have it that the big bash Austin Gatt had organised for the divorce issue would now be done on gonzi's confirmation (no not the church one). The result will be heralded with a fireworks display and champagne for all at the showroom, followed by a carcade round the island on ARRIVA buses provided free of charge. Peter Darmanin will then present gonzi with a figolla baked specially for the occassion copies of which will be auctioned to raise funds for the general election.A special edition of Xarabank and bondi+ will be transmitted live from the showroom at Tal-Pieta hosted by Rachel to give Peppi and Lou Bondi time to celebrate in the streets.
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At Ken Spiteri,Beppe was mentioned as a prospective candidate because he is so ,( how can I put it mildly?) so nothing , in order to boost gonzi's image.
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Ha nghidlek Dr Gonzi. Jekk qed tahseb li b’dawn il-manuvri qed jirnexxielek tbella r-ross bil-labra jew tidhaq b’xi hadd nista nghidlek li mhux jirnexxielek. Jekk xejn qed jirnexxielek tidhaq u tbella r-ross bil-labra lill partitarji Nazzjonalisti u ma tantx se ddum lanqas. Ghax malli jirejalizzaw li wrejthom id-debba w qabbiztilhom il-hmara se jduru huma kontra tieghek. U mbaghad tghid xejn hlief mea maxima culpa. Forsi nerghu naraw il-partit Nazzjonalista ta qabel htaftu f’idejk inti w l-akkolti kollha tieghek.
Luke Camilleri •
Kemm ha jkun helu jtellaq wahdu!
U kemm sejjer jifrah la jirbah u jghid kemm jien tajjeb hux! Gonzi the Gratest Leader of the World.... especially running for a Confirmation bid all by himself! Min irrid idahhaq, min irrid jithaq b'min...jithaq bih innifsu zgur!
Luke Camilleri •
Kemm ha jkun helu jtellaq wahdu!
U kemm sejjer jifrah la jirbah u jghid kemm jien tajjeb hux! Gonzi the Gratest Leader of the World.... especially running for a Confirmation bid all by himself! Min irrid idahhaq, min irrid jithaq b'min...jithaq bih innifsu zgur!
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No, Dr Gonzi PLEASE DO NOT RESIGN. The country needs you. We need a leader like you who excuses his ministers for causing havoc in their minesterial duties; we need someone like you to give us a pittance of a raise while you fork out for yourself and for those closest to you 600 euros; we need a stallion of a leader who believes he can save the world; we need a boxer who does not realise that he has two black eyes and can barely see what is right for himself, let alone his country; we need a person like you to have his people pay hundreds of thousands of euros a day interest on the debt he has managed to incur upon his country. Where, oh where, are we going to find such an excellent leader, a God-sent Messiah, a saviour and defender of the common people??
Luke Camilleri •
Hobson's choice
Meaning
No real choice at all - the only options being to either accept or refuse the offer that is given to you.
Gonzi’s choice
Meaning
An exercise in futility- No Choice, a choice offering only one option to accept and on no count refuse! in
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Is it possible that Gonzi, for all his intelligence, does not even realise that no one is taking him seriously. Doesn’t he realise that people’s intelligence is far greater than his if this is what he can come up with? Does he take us all for fools who would bow our heads in concurrence with all this farce no matter how stupid and silly his reasoning is? Ok so he will manage to get this desired support from the Councillors no doubt. But does this mean that from there onwards parliament is being transferred to the Dar Centrali. Will all legislation now be subject to discussions and eventual approval in Pieta instead of Valletta? Will the seat of Government be Pieta instead of Valletta? Gonzi will bring the party crashing down in one big bang and shall be responsible for the collapse of what was the Nationalist Party, the party he mistakenly thought belonged to him and his cronies. He has yet to see the writing on the wall but by then it will be too late. I pity genuine Nationalists who have given their lifetime to make the party what it was before the klikka screwed it up.
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Dejavu....same maneuvers we saw from the ousted Col. Gaddhafi when his Dictatorship was coming to an end. He tried to produce fake support from people who feared him and from the Elite group when all the country was crying for him to step down.
Let's try to hide what is happening from foreign investors and hope all this saga ends asap.
All this, is shameful for our country.
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Dr.Gonzi has become the greatest threat to Democracy to this country.
He has no concept regarding what are party matters and parliamentary affairs. This is a Parliamentary crisis and has to be addressed there!
Party leaders are chosen by party councillors. Members of parliament are elected by the whole electorate, that is all of us.
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Why on hell Beppe was mentioned for leadership, are we kidding !!!!!!!!!!
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Why on hell Beppe was mentioned for leadership, are we kidding !!!!!!!!!!
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Why on hell Beppe was mentioned for leadership, are we kidding !!!!!!!!!!
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Testing
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Nippruvaw u naraw
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To whom it may concern. " Are you looking for a good job in Brussell with all the trimmings? All you have to do is to contest Dr. L.Gonzi."
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Jien ikolli nghid se jkun hemm erba kontestanti.
1. Dr. Lawrence
2. Dr. Gonzi
3. Dr. Gonzipn
4. Dr. Who
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No more than two terms in office. Enact it in law. Stop the culture of a leader for life - not in a democracy, not in my country and not on my vote.
Even Nigeria have this law - let alone the US.
Gonzi - shame on you! I call on PN to save their country, their families' future and YES - their party. Vote Gonzi out. GonziOut!
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Ghalija u ghal aktar min-nofs il-poplu Malti dan kollu vojtagni u hela ta' hin. Gonzipn jirbah il-world cup biex jispostja l-argumenti lagenba u jahseb li bil-legalizmi se jirnexxilu jidhak bil-poplu. Hija haga ovvja li se jkaxkar il-voti KOLLHA ta' min hu intitolat jivvota fil-partit nazzjonalista izda bhas-soltu baqa' ma wegibx ghal dawk l-akkuzi serjissimi li ghamel franco debono f'dawn l-ahahar gimghat. Tant ipacpac fil-vojt fuq il-kuncett ta' kontabilita u lanqas biss jaf x'ifisser !!!!! Hija haga cara li din l-istorja se tigi solvuta skont kif se jivvota franco debono fil-parlament u skont xejn aktar - u hawn ukoll jidher car li bil-pressjoni morali u psikologika li poggew fuqu f'dawn l-ahhar gimghat, franco beda jikkrolla .... mur ara jekk jithajjar johrog xi hadd biex jikkontesta lil goznipn kif ikissruh, ifarrkuh, iqaxxruh u jgibuh xejn ..... kemm hasibna ta' subghajna f'halqna gonzipn !!!!
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if you get only two thirds still you will have one third against which is very high percentage. Put Mr Leader this is a pure raw joke.I am sure you will get 98%. There is no leader in a democratic world , who stays on as leader, present himself for a candidate and most propable he will be on his own. This is not democracy. It could have been a wise idea to resign and appointed again. Mr Leader and I am addressing you as leader of your party this is not our problem but only belongs to your party. Our problem is that you are governing without majority.
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Ekka kollox miexi fuq ir-rubini eh ! Mela da nesa illi jaghmel x'jaghmel kollu ta' xejn ghax ha jsib lill Dr Franco Debono jastjeni u ha jibqa jitbahnan bla maggoranza. Eh le bilhaqq ... dan minghalih illi rebah il-maggoranza fil-parlament. Aqbadt u warrab minn hemm u ibda pagna gdida u nimxu minn hemm ghax dejjaqtna issa.
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1. No one will contest him and 2. So there will be no contest. 3. If gonzi still decides for a secret vote voting will be manipulated so that there will be hardly any NO's or abstentions.
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So does Jurgen Balzan report reflects that Lawrence Gonzi does not bother much about what is stipulated in the Nationalist Party statute and sort of leading the election his way. No threshold, two months following the post of PN leader becoming vacant. Who knows.
As far as we heard yesterday in his speech Gonzi said that after the General Council he was going to give instructions/letter that he will be submitting his leadership to the wish of the General Council. Nothing has been heard so far.
Maybe he will be presenting this letter after Parliament's Easter (not to say Summer)recess? Gonzi is now ignoring what the same NP Statute stipulates as far as the threshold is concerned. But no doubt he will get more than the 85% mentioned and remains leader. One big tragic-comedy!
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Dr. Gonzi ser ikollu l-maggoranza tal-voti fi hdan il-kunsilieri tieghu imma hu jaf li fil-parlament kull ma jird hu l-vot ta' Dr. Debono biex ikompli bhala Prim Ministru u nahseb jiena li la Dr. Debono stqarr u qal kemm il-darba publikament li jridu jtiru l-irjus biex huwa jkun jista jaghti l-appogg lil Gvern tal-PN u dan ma sarx ghax kull ma sar ftit irtokk u hafna dmuh tal-kukkudrilli, allura zgur l-f'Dr. Franco Debono mhux ser isib stoffa. Issa z-zmien jaghtina parir nahseb anke fl-ewwel votazzjonijiet li ser isiru gewwa l-parlament.
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dr gonzi mela inti tmur titlob vot ta fiducja id dar? ghax ma tohrodx titlob vot ta fiducja barra fit triq.
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B'min irid jidhaq Gonzi, saqsu lil John Dalli xghamlulu ghax ikkontesta ma Gonzi kemm qala go fih. Hawn xi hadd jazzarda jikkompeti ma Gonzi meta l-klikka tkissru stil ta faxxismu, miskin hu min jiftah halqu biex jikkontesta ma Gonzi. Min tridu jissokra jara t-turturi bhal ma ha John Dalli, hallina Gonz, kun onest u toqghadx tidhaq bin0nies tieghek stess.
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Gonzi needs two thirds majority to retain the PN leadership , but needs one single vote in parlament that of Dr.Franco Debono to retain his post of Prime Minister .
Zack Depasquale •
I am sure that Dr Gonzi will win this one and get nearly 100% of all the councilors votes, and than, where is Malta going from there? Because as far as I know Dr Franco Debono is on record, saying that he has resigned from GonziPN. Which means Dr Debono doesn't abide by the rules of GonziPN. As the Maltese saying goes," naghtu l-panu bil-qargha hamra". Now for the second act of the GonziPN show enjoy the show whilst instabilty reigns supreme.
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Milli jidher hadd mhu interessat li jikkontesta lil Dr Gonzi. .... Lil Dr Gonzi shabu qed jghidulu bil-pulit, mur ghal-elezzjoni bikrija....Min irid isuq karozza karrakka u mahruqa? Issa tara kif tghaddi l-elezzjoni x'fatta jaqbzu fuqek....Dr Gonzi jrid jaghmel makeover biex Dr Franco iservi fil-gvern tieghu, ghax qal kemm il-darba li TAHT GONZI MA NOQGHODX.
Igor P. Shuvalov •
Is there any doubt that Gonzi would get the two-third majority requires considering that it is two thirds of those casting their vote and the fact that PN councillors know quite well that if Gonzi fails to get the votes needed the crisis for the PN would get worse.
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This is one big gimmick . Gonzi will not only get his 2/3 of the votes , but 99.9% of the votes OF THE PN AFFICIONADOS ALSO KNOWN AD THE GENERAL COUNCIL becuse he will be uncontested. As if de Marco, Busuttil , Fenech Adami or anyone else want the helm of the PN now, when it is a big mess ? As if they want to be the Kapo to lead the PN into a defeat at the next elections? Gonzi knows all this and he is playing as if he is some democratic leader who is givin the poor PN tessearti a choice. The poor buiggers have no choice at all. They will have to choose between, Gonzi, Gonzi or Gonzi!!! He he he x'farsa !
But where would that leave him vis a vis the Maltese electorate? It will leave Gonzi nowhere except as a person who tried to take the whole country for a ride, who flaunted the Maltese consistution and who is becoming more and more pathetic hanging on to where he is no really wanted.
And this he knows well. Otherwise, he would have gone to the polls and asked all the Maltese if they want him as the PM. Most of us do not care who the chief of the PN is. He could be Ganni l-Iblah for all we care. It is what happens in our Parliament is what we care about, and who is our PM and how he is behaving. Till now Gonzi has cut a poor figure hanging on for dear life to his seat. He should be a man,stand up to the klikka holding him hostage to their egoistic wants, face the fact that he no longer has a majority where it matters ie House of Representatives, and ask the people of Malta what they want....not the yes-folk he gathers at the PN HQ. Dr Gonzi, we are not impressed....on the contrary we are disgusted at your manipulation of democracy.
