I have written about this in the past. It’s a Maltese problem, not just a PN problem. Too many lawyers in politics.

Now this is not exceptional – other Western countries have it. The problem is that our ‘intellectual’ class, the opinion-makers, are almost all lawyers.

Just look at Malta’s newspaper columnists. Just look at the permanent fixtures in discussion programmes. Just look at Giovanni Bonello. He’s a judge and a jurist, but when he writes about history it’s as if Braudel has spoken.

I don’t like it. No other European country has lawyers as household names.

It’s not normal.

But then Malta never was, so maybe I should just give up and get with the groove. Yes Dottore, hawn Dottore! Noffrilek café u pastizz, Dottore! Nista’ nipprezentalek lil Dokkktorrr XYZ? It-tifel qieghed fil-Korstalligi.

Having a lawyer as a political leader isn’t bad in itself, provided there is a team of political THINKERS – I say again – THINKERS, not politicians – which includes other professionals.

Parachuting someone in does not work. If he wants to lead the party, let him start from the grassroots and work his way up. Then he will be in a position to understand the people he’s asking to vote for him.

You’re describing the role of a CEO and not of a party leader who could be prime minister.

Parties are not commercial organisations, nor are countries.

The goalposts have been moved. It’s all about image, perception and marketing now and, with all the good will in the world, a lawyer – any lawyer – is unmarketable. It truly pains me to say this, as Drs Busuttil, De Marco and Jason Azzopardi and Chris Cardona (for Deputy) are all fine principled men whom I would personally back without hesitation.

But what the PN need in this day and age is glamour. If it must be a lawyer, at least make it a woman eg Anne Fenech. If a male lawyer is chosen, they may as well put up billboards saying “We can’t change”.

And they have all been present in the PN in one way or another, rather than oming out of the woodworks as a pseudo-philantropic deed now that Gonzi is officially resigning from his post as leader.

They are all capable, visionary people and the secret is to build a good team to support the leader.

The one-man shows of the Mintoff era are over and all of the above people are fully capable of building a strong team around them. They all have the important values of integrity, honesty, loyalty and respect which should not be overlooked by the PN executive voters.

I was originally sceptical, but I watched him tonight and was convinced. The political party is an organisation, organised in a hierarchy, much like a large company/ group of companies.

I believe that Mr. Bugeja has the creativity to come up with novel solutions which the present lot would not even dream of.

Unfortunately, barring a miracle, the ultra conservative party machine will not give him a chance. It will be a missed opportunity.