Keith Azopardi: "A Time to Keep Going Forward"
Below follows a statement from Keith Azopardi prior to the GSD's Leadership Election on 4th and 5th December.
The GSD Executive and Party Members will vote on 4th and 5th December 2023 in the Leadership Election which Party rules require is held after the 2023 General Election.
Keith Azopardi said:
“I am asking the Party Executive and Party Members to back me and to support my vision so we can finish what we started. Now is the time to go forward and not back.
Over the last 6 years under my leadership the GSD has come a long way. When I took over in 2017 some people thought the GSD might never again be able to aspire to Government. People were prepared to write off the GSD.
Through sheer hard work the Party has been stabilised and reenergised. We have had the best election result since 2007 and were a mere 150 votes from winning the last election. Under my leadership the GSD has grown its support, diversified and once again become the real and strong alternative to Government. We have broadened our appeal massively. So much so that for the first time since 2007 the Government only has a majority of 1 in Parliament.
The GSD is now a force for real change in this community and is on the cusp of victory.
We cannot throw all that hard work away. We are going in the right direction. We must now continue and press on. It makes no sense to go in a different direction or to be perceived as rigidly ideological or representative of only some sectors of society in Gibraltar. That will lose us the support of many people in Gibraltar who back the GSD I lead because my vision is moderate, progressive and centrist.
To achieve change we need to keep going and also back someone who is ready to do the job of leading a Government now.
I hope members will support my efforts as they have over the last 6 years because we are nearly there and the best is yet to come.
I look forward to setting out my vision to Party Members on the evening of Tuesday 5 December at the John Mackintosh Hall before they vote and to answer their questions.”
