Mario de Marco will not be contesting the Nationalist Party leadership, telling Times Talk he will not lend his support to anyone.

The PN deputy leader will be resigning along with Simon Busuttil, Beppe Fenech Adami and the party's administration, following Saturday's crushing defeat at the polls.

Interviewed by senior journalist Kurt Sansone, Dr de Marco excluded himself from the impending leadership race.

"I believe there are many people out there with good qualities to occupy the roles of leader and deputy leaders… I believe there is need for new faces,” Dr de Marco said.

Asked about the qualities a new leader should possess, Dr de Marco said the ability to listen to people was crucial. 

Dr de Marco insisted the people should not be blamed for the result but said the defeat did not mean that the issue of good governance was not important. 

"Our arguments on corruption remain relevant but people may have felt this was not an issue that decides an election."

The deputy leader said the party may have had an illusion of growing support because many people were coming out publicly in support of the PN's stand.

Asked about criticism that the PN made Daphne Caruana Galizia's blog posts its own, Dr de Marco said there may have been a time when the agendas were parallel because of the corruption issue. However, he insisted the party should set its own agenda.

 

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