Gonzi tells his faithful:'Go to the electorate and regain their trust'

Updated at 1:38pm.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi this morning addressed an exuberant and boisterous audience of PN councillors and activists at the party's headquarters in Pietà, after clinching the vast approval of his councillors in a contest to approve him as leader.

He stressed the importance of yesterday's 94.6% results, saying the experience of meeting with PN councillors over the past weeks had brought him closer "to the people's everyday realities" and reminded him that the government must be more sensitive to the people's problems.

"It was the PN that won the 2008 election and not Gonzi. The party's policies won the people's confidence and not Gonzi," the PN leader said in an attempt to overturn the maligned 'GonziPN' electoral slogan.

"One could speak on how the country performed in the Libyan crisis, but the past four weeks reminded me that there is more to politics. It helped me appreciate that it was the party which had to seek the confidence of the people. It was not Gonzi who won the last election, but the party as a whole."

Gonzi added that it was not enough to be head of government, but that a Prime Minister needs to remain close to the people.

"It is well and good to control the deficit, to attract foreign investment and to be respected internationally, but one also had to understand the impact of gas prices in a cold winter. A prime minister has to understand the impact of such things as well."

Gonzi described the current political situation as moment of truth. "This is a trying moment but we must not lose heart. The party belongs to the people and will remain close to the people in the coming days, weeks and years."

The PN leader announced two new initiatives that are expected to buttress the forthcoming electoral campaign for 2013: Gonzi said that he had appointed MEP Simon Busuttil as his special envoy to organise meetings within AZAD - the PN's think tank - in order to meet different social and economic sectors of civil society. "I invite everybody including small businesses, construction, social workers, university students and workers to approach the party," Gonzi implored.

Gonzi also announced that he has instructed PN secretary-general Paul Borg Olivier to organise meetings in different localities where government ministers and parliamentary secretaries can meet the public. "I urge all ministers and parliamentary secretaries to go out there and meet the people. Go out and share ideas and listen to the people's needs, aspirations and hurts."

The PN leader said that the party's headquarters are open to everybody and invited people to approach the party.

On the possibility of calling an early election, the PN leader said: "I will do my utmost to hold an election when it is due because that is what is in the country's best interest... We will double our efforts to reach people's needs with more energy and commitment. We will complete the ongoing projects to generate more jobs. Our biggest project is to put persons at the centre of our activity. That is the Nationalist's Party's new project."

In a clear reference to rebel MP Franco Debono and other backbenchers and PN activists who have voiced their dissent, Gonzi said that the party's doors were open and that everybody was welcome to give their contribution to the party. "The party does not exclude anybody," Gonzi said.

He criticised Opposition leader Joseph Muscat for "attempting to copy" the Nationalist Party: "This not only proves how good our party is but if you look at him, they are nothing like us. On the contrary, he is surrounded by the same persons who ran the Labour party in the 1980s."

The prime minister accused Muscat of wanting to win at all costs, lambasting the Opposition leader for his responsibility for the scandal-ridden Mosta local council led by a Labour majority.

Gonzi reiterated his call to councillors after yesterday's vote, saying the PN was "one big family pulling the same rope" in the country's best numbers.

He also said yesterday's vote went beyond his resounding approval. "The result of the leadership election confirms that the party lives and works for our families and the people... The party exists for the wellbeing of our children, the elderly and the vulnerable persons in our society. The party professes policies that ensure that nobody is left behind. The party believes in what is right."

The Prime Minister repeated the old PN mantra 'justice will previal' (Is-sewwa jirbah zgur) to great acclaim from the party faithful.

On the forthcoming local council elections, Gonzi echoed his Labour counterpart in stating that his party was starting at a disadvantage, but urged candidates to work hard to convince voters they deserved their trust, and to behave with integrity.

Journalists were once again confined to a room on the first floor of the PN headquarters and could only follow the General Council meeting on TV screens showing the live broadcast on the party's television station. Journalists could not view the scene as Gonzi entered the PN's general council's hall to loud applause and cheers of 'Gonzi, Gonzi'.

The General Council, which yesterday crowned Lawrence Gonzi as undisputed leader of the party, is composed of the various party branches, representatives of the sectional committees and MPs and candidates.