Nationalist leader Bernard Grech said on Saturday the party is working to ensure that no one is excluded from its politics or generation of ideas.

“The party gives space to people, including non-elected candidates, but also others to participate in PN’s work,” Grech told Times of Malta.

His comments came after lawyer and former Nationalist Party candidate Emma Portelli Bonnici hit out at her party for ignoring its unelected candidates.

The openly pro-choice candidate was one of the women candidates who failed to make it to parliament.

The day after the election I was no longer a candidate and no effort was made by anyone to involve me in anything- Emma Portelli Bonnici

Three months after the election, while still a member of the party, Portelli Bonnici said she has not been invited to any party events or meetings.

“The day after the election I was no longer a candidate and no effort was made by anyone to involve me in anything,” Portelli Bonnici told Times of Malta on Friday.

Responding to questions, Grech said the party has an open-door policy for anyone to have their say in its politics and the generation of ideas for the party.

He said there were other non-elected candidates who were still vocal and part of the PN’s policy creation.

By way of example, he mentioned Leon Sciberras, another unelected PN candidate, now a member of the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability, who was still very active in the party, he said.