De Marco warns elected leader must hit the ground running

No matter what the leadership contest result is, contender Mario de Marco is satisfied that this party election has brought the Nationalist Party back together again and looks forward to continue working with all the rest to see that the PN gets back on its feet both financially and politically.

"The councillors have before them good candidates who are ready to bring about the change needed. This election was not only a process of choice but it has also brought about unity. Every candidate gave his best and it was a clean campaign," De Marco said.

The election campaigning will in fact close with a reception tomorrow evening during which all four candidates - de Marco, Simon Busuttil, Francis Zammit Dimech and Ray Bugeja - will be together.

"The campaign has helped the party reopen its internal communications were the councillors had the opportunity to voice their opinions," he said, adding it was time for the PN to move forward from the electoral defeat and start preparing for the MEP elections.

"The new leader must hit the ground running. We have a lot of work to do and the challenges we face are huge," he said, highlighting the necessity for the PN to look deeply at its financial problems and find a solution as quickly as possible.

If elected, de Marco's plan would be to appoint a group of financial, commercial and media experts, with the involvement of the PN employees, to come up with a strategic plan. It was important that a clear separation be made between the commercial and political aspects of the party, he added.

De Marco also believes an overhaul of the party's media is required. "The party's media must be updated to today's necessities to be effective and attract a wider segment of the population. It must be more relevant to address today's necessities," he said.

Asked whether he would be interest contesting the deputy leadership or the secretary-general post where not to be elected leader, de Marco insisted his primary interest was the regeneration of the party.

"I am looking at the role as secondary as my primary interest is the strengthening of the party. If I am not elected, I will still work hard and offer my unconditional support to whoever is elected," de Marco said, adding that he was not "including or excluding anything".

With the Nationalist parliamentary group having taken a solid position against the Prime Minister's offer for a member of the opposition to sit on the bi-partisan economic group, de Marco insists that the role of the opposition is to scrutinise government's work and ensure that the government implements its electoral promises.

"I see nothing wrong in government and the opposition cooperating together as long as this does not impinge on the opposition's role as defined by the Constitution," de Marco said.