MaltaToday online poll | Majority reconfirms support Busuttil for deputy leadership election

In less than a week 900 Nationalist party councillors will be going to the polls to choose a new deputy leader who together with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, will lead them into the next general elections.

The two contenders, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech and MEP Simon Busuttil, have both been carrying out several television and print interviews explaining why the councillors should vote for them.

Tonio Fenech is on the one hand saying that he is the one who has always delivered results and who has helped this country achieve economic progress while other countries were failing, while Simon Busuttil says he is the one who can bridge the PN with the lost voters thanks to the fresh blood he can inject into the party.

One survey after the other carried by MaltaToday has shown Busuttil deemed as the favourite for thepost, not only to become the deputy leader but also to become the new leader of the PN.

On the other hand, surveys have shown Fenech as one of the least popular ministers - which he says comes with the toll of being the finance minister.

This week's MaltaToday online poll, with 1,768 users taking part, once again confirmed a solid majority (57% or 1,001 respondents) supporting Simon Busuttil, while only 27% (459) favoured Tonio Fenech.

Other respondents showed more support (9% of total respondents) in seeing Busuttil co-opted in the House as an MP, if Tonio Fenech wins the deputy leadership election, rather than seeing Fenech made deputy prime minister if Simon Busuttil is elected deputy leader (8%).

Eighth district candidate Michael Axiaq also said he would be ready to yield his seat in a casual election that will take place after Tonio Borg's vacation of his parliamentary seat, if the PN asked him to do so to accommodate a potenital co-option for Busuttil.

The charismatic MEP is seen as the ideal person with the ability to narrow Labour's 12-point lead. On the other hand, being a close ally of Lawrence Gonzi and having been in government when the PN started losing its voters to Labour, Fenech's ability to bridge that gap is questionable although a positive budget - to be presented next Wednesday - can be exactly what he needs to win the contest.