The Nationalist Party’s executive will meet on Thursday to thrash out the details of the process to elect its leader following last month's electoral defeat.

The PN executive meeting will be followed by a general council session to be held on Sunday, which will mark the official start of the somewhat lengthy process that will end with the party electing its leader.

Thursday's meeting will iron out details and timelines of the leadership process, PN sources said. 

According to the PN statute, party leader Bernard Grech is obliged to step down having lost a general election, giving party members the opportunity to elect a new candidate should they wish to do so. 

Grech has already said that he will be re-contesting the post. He is so far the only candidate to have said he intends to run.

Sunday’s council will set out the timeline for the nomination process, vetting of candidates, campaigning and the actual leadership election.

Should Grech remain the sole candidate for the election, he will only need a simple majority vote to stay in the post. But if other candidates decide to contest him, a secret vote will be held should there be more than two candidates with the top two runners then facing off in an election among party members.

Grech became PN leader in October 2020 when he obtained 69.3% of party members’ votes when contesting against former leader Adrian Delia.

Delia has already ruled out re-contesting the post, as has newly elected acclaimed criminal lawyer Joe Giglio. Another new MP, Mark Anthony Sammut, has also dismissed rumours he will contest the leadership.