Chris Said slams ‘those who joined PN only at opportune moments’

Nationalist Party leadership candidate Chris Said repeatedly took jibes at “those who only joined the PN at opportune moments,” alluding to his rival Adrian Delia without mentioning him by name.

The contentious PN leadership race has seen four candidates whittled down to two after the party’s councillors cast their vote last Saturday. Paid-up members of the Nationalist Party, some 21,500 of them, are now tasked with making the final choice on 16 September.

Yesterday, Said addressed a press conference in which he stressed that the choice before party members is clear, and that he is offering integrity, hard work and fairness.

When asked about how he intends to overturn last Saturday’s vote, this time with the party members voting, he said that the public sees how he is the honest choice.

Said spoke of the majority of members who are not vocal on social media, do not get into arguments over politics and do not openly support one candidate over another – these will ultimately choosing the next leader.

He said that the Labour Party has somehow managed to make it unpleasant for there to be a discussion on corruption, but he will not shy away from praising what is good and speaking out against what is not.

“I will not let the PN become a copy of the PL,” he exclaimed, adding that under his leadership, the party would not simply float with the current but will show resistance to movements that are not in tune with the PN’s core values and identity.

He cited a time when he was parliamentary secretary in the Lawrence Gonzi Cabinet and he resigned due to allegations against him.

“Not many people know this but I gave up my minister’s pension because of that. My family and I lost out because of this decision but I had to do what was right for the country and for the party,” he said.

“I will not have to waste time defending my integrity and honour to the Labour Party. Through this I can dedicate even more energy to uniting the party, working hard and ensuring that the PN becomes a well-organised machine.”

He repeatedly said that the PL does not want him to win the leadership contest, because there is little for them to attack him on. This was a clear jibe at the controversy surrounding Adrian Delia and an alleged offshore account in Jersey and proceeds from a brothel.

Journalist and blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia has published several stories about the affair which has made its way before the PN’s ethical board. Delia denies any wrongdoing.

When asked by this newsroom about how he will remove himself from the public’s association of him with the PN’s past, he said that he has been with the party through good times and bad, and will continue to work for a better quality of life.