Lawyer Martina Caruana and former MP Ivan Bartolo, who gave up his seat in parliament for PN leader Bernard Grech, are to be appointed to two new roles in the party.
Bartolo resigned as an MP in October, paving the way for Grech to become leader of the opposition while this is Caruana’s first role in party politics.
Bartolo will be president of social dialogue and outreach, while Caruana will be appointed political research president.
Caruana will ensure the party’s political strategy is updated, relevant to current times and effective in ensuring the common good of the country.
Bartolo will, meanwhile, consult with political, cultural and social organisations, unions and civil society.
Both were the only officials nominated for their roles, set up as part of the changes to the party’s statute earlier this year. The two new posts are expected to be formally approved at the PN executive.
Caruana said she has always been interested in the way politics impacts everyday life.
The PN is going to redefine the words ‘pro-business’
“More recently, I grew highly concerned about Malta’s politicians, especially after the Panama Papers and the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia,” she told Times of Malta.
She said a weak opposition is bad news for the country and a Labour victory by a greater margin than the 2017 general election may have long-lasting consequences on Malta’s democracy.
“I was approached by the PN for the role and since Malta’s political scene needs a massive clean-up, I believe that if you’re handed a broom and don’t use it to sweep, you cannot complain that the floor is dirty,” she added.
Caruana is a winner of the United Nations Global Goals Award and the Queen’s Young Leader medal bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II.
A University of Malta and University of Cambridge alumnus, she is currently reading for a qualification in justice: moral and political philosophy at Harvard University.
Caruana recently assisted and lobbied for unlawfully detained journalists and lawyers during protests in Mumbai.
Bartolo is not a new face in the political scene. He contested the general election in 2017 on the ninth district and was elected to parliament last March through a by-election.
Bartolo said he was “humbled” by the appointment “as this is a very senior role within the party. The terms of reference as outlined in the party statute are truly broad, challenging and interesting”.
“The Nationalist Party is going to redefine the words ‘pro-business’,” he said.
“In a new Malta with the PN in government, ‘pro-business’ will translate into government as a facilitator, a path finder, a goal seeker responsible for managing the process through which it will empower citizen and industry to drive content and benefits.
“Given we do not know when the next election is going to take place, we will tackle this project with an agile mindset and we will have quarterly incremental deliverables that will aim to increase our validity at the next general election.”
Bartolo’s career in information technology spans over 37 years and he started his own business, 6PM, in 2001.
Specialised in IT health solutions, 6PM has contributed to the ongoing transformation of NHS hospitals in the UK.