Nationalist Party deputy leader elections for 30 November

Elections for the Nationalist Party's deputy party leadership will be held on 30 November, after nominations closed at noon today, leaving finance minister Tonio Fenech and MEP Simon Busuttil as the two contenders for the post vacated by commissioner-designate Tonio Borg.

Candidates will have to secure two-thirds of the PN's general councillors' votes to be elected, and a second election will have to be held on 2 December if the quota is not reached.

Fenech, 43, has attracted the support of government ministers in his nomination for the deputy leadership. Not new to controversy during his time in office, he quickly rose in the ranks as first parliamentary secretary of finance to Lawrence Gonzi in 2004, and then promoted to finance minister in 2008.

Busuttil, also 43, is one of the European People's Party's most prominent of MEPs and held a central role in the PN's European Parliament election campaign of 2008, having been re-elected twice with the island's highest first-count vote.

Both considered allies of Lawrence Gonzi, they will run for the deputy leader's post created when deputy prime minister and deputy party leader Tonio Borg was nominated for commissioner-designate of the EU, resigning his party position.

If Borg is confirmed next week as European Commissioner, he will have to resign his parliamentary seat. Normally it takes between 7-10 days for a casual election to take place and a new MP elected. Unless the party instructs candidates not to contest the casual elections, Borg's seat can be left vacant for a co-option to take place.

The decision will have enormous impact on whether a victory for Busuttil will see the MEP enter Parliament through co-option. It would also determine Gonzi's decision who to appoint deputy prime minister: while the tradition is for the deputy party leader to be appointed deputy prime minister, Gonzi is at liberty to choose any of his MPs to be deputy prime minister.