[attach id="261314" size="medium"]Peter Fenech... vying for the Malta FA hotseat.[/attach]
Peter Fenech has decided to run for the Malta FA presidency, well-placed sources have confirmed to The Times of Malta.
With Norman Darmanin Demajo’s three-year term at the helm of the Malta FA coming to an end next month, speculation has been rife that Dr Fenech was seriously considering launching a bid for the MFA presidency at the next election, to be held during the association’s annual general meeting on July 20.
Darmanin Demajo has already declared his intention to run for a second term but he will not be unopposed, as many had expected after the former St Andrew’s official was elected MFA president for the the first time three years ago.
The decision of Dr Fenech to throw his hat into the ring raises the prospect of another tense face-off for the top job in Maltese football after Darmanin Demajo’s landslide victory brought an end to Joe Mifsud’s 18-year tenure as MFA president on August 7, 2010.
Darmanin Demajo, who 10 years earlier had been forced to step down from his post as MFA honorary treasurer after a row with Dr Mifsud, obtained 77 votes to his rival’s 31 in the last election.
In an interview with The Sunday Times of Malta, Darmanin Demajo confirmed that he will be seeking re-election, singling out ‘growth and sustainability’ for clubs and the Malta FA as his top priority.
Dr Fenech has yet to spell out his objectives but he’s expected to do that after he submits his candidacy in the coming days.
Over the past few months, Dr Fenech has been meeting club officials to discuss football-related issues in light of his potential candidature for the MFA presidential election.
This is the first time that Dr Fenech is vying for the presidency but he did serve as vice-president for three years before losing his seat in the last elections for the top posts in the association’s administration.
Dr Fenech got 52 votes in the 2010 ballot, 15 fewer than Ludovigo Micallef who secured the third and final seat. Alex Manfrè had topped the voting with 78 preferences, one more than Carmelo Bartolo, the long-serving MFA senior vice-president.
News of Dr Fenech’s bid comes against a backdrop of persistent reports that at least two new candidates have signalled their intention to stand for election as MFA vice-presidents.
They are Donald Spiteri, the president of the local futsal association who is also a member of the MFA’s executive committee and the sports therapist of the senior national squad, and Chris Bonett, the head of the MFA’s legal department, a role he has occupied on a full-time basis since Darmanin Demajo swept into power three years ago.
Vice-presidents Bartolo, Micallef and Manfrè are also expected to stand for re-election next month.
However, Antoine Portelli, the serving MFA honorary treasurer, has yet to decide whether to pursue another three-year term.
The closing date for nominations is July 1.