Rosette Thake odds-on-favourite to become PN secretary general

Rosette Thake, a member of PN think-thank AZAD and a newly elected member of the PN’s executive, is “odds-on-favourite and very close” to succeed Chris Said as the party’s secretary general, senior party officials told MaltaToday.

Party officials confirmed that Thake is the first candidate to contest the post and succeed Chris Said after the latter was asked by Simon Busuttil to stand down as secretary general to focus on the Gozitan constituency after the resignation of former Gozo minister Giovanna Debono.

The party’s electoral commission will be receiving nominations until May 28, and a final vote is taken on June 3.

Various names were touted to succeed Chris Said, with the PN faithful seeming to favour established party heavyweights such as MPs David Agius, Clyde Puli and Robert Cutajar, MEP David Casa, and PN executive council present Ann Fenech. But after the ‘favourites’ ruled themselves out of the race – most recently being David Casa who on Sunday announced that he would not seek to succeed Casa – Thake emerged as the frontrunner, with party officials saying that Thake’s election is merely a formality.

“Even if Thake were to be the only candidate, a vote will still be held. The party’s 18 executive members will all vote, as will do members from the party’s administrative council, parliamentary group, the district fora and sectional committees,” the PN official explained.

Thake has so far not occupied any official role within the party. On Saturday, Thake was one of nine women elected to the Executive Council of the party, with party sources saying that Thake received a considerable amount of votes from the 1,330 party members who cast their vote.

If elected, Thake will undoubtedly have an arduous task to continue in the footsteps of Chris Said with the outgoing secretary warning that his successor will have to remain close to the party’s roots to ensure that the PN builds on the local council elections results.

“In two years, the party’s finances are back on track, media outlets are no longer losing money, and workers are being paid on time. The party has managed to reduce the electoral deficit in just two years but there is a still long way to go.”

“The new secretary general must remain close to the party’s roots and regaint he trust of the electorate,” Said explained during Sunday's general council. 

In 2013, Thake was appointed to the board of PN think-thank AZAD, while in October 2014 she coordinated the party’s first convention. For the past 12 years, Thake has also been a managing partner of a cooperative involved in early childhood education, and also served as president of Koperattivi Malta and a member of the Central Cooperative Fund between 2008 and 2011.