‘Do not appoint another leader now but hold a parliamentary group meeting,’ says retired senior PN politician

As the rift in the Nationalist Party appears to widen by the day, a retired senior party politician told The Malta Independent on Sunday yesterday that “the PN should not appoint a new leader now, but Adrian Delia must hold a parliamentary group meeting as soon as possible.”

The politician, speaking on condition of anonymity, told this newsroom that it would be “suicidal” for a leadership election to be held in the coming months with MEP and local council elections just

around the corner in May.

However, the source said that Delia should call an urgent meeting of the parliamentary group to thrash out any issues and concerns: “Over the years, I have seen a number of PN leaders take the helm. It has not always been rosy, but the party’s structures allow one to vent any concerns or reservations.

“I must say, however, that I have never seen the party in such a state.”

The retired politician added that it was not enough for Delia and party officials to speak of grassroots support when the parliamentary group is anything but united.

“What will Delia do in Parliament if his whole parliamentary group fails to toe the line?” he asked. “He needs to think about all this. On the other hand, those MPs who do not support him are in the minority. They should be careful and think of the common good of the party, not personal agendas.”

This senior politician said that the dissenting MPs and the party as a whole should allow Delia at least one electoral test before deciding whether or not to keep him.

“My greatest regret is seeing the PN using different tactics to destroy people within the same party instead of opposing the Labour Party.”

He told this newsroom that what the party should be doing is finalising its MEP and local council campaign, and not attacking each other: “Bear in mind that all this internal conflict gives Labour a free ride.”

Asked about the MP signatures being collected to force Delia to resign, the senior politician said that the worst thing would be to have two different leaders — a party leader and an opposition leader.

“I honestly think that this would spell the party’s end,” he said.

Not enough signatures collected from MPs asking Delia to step down

Earlier this week, this newspaper reported how a high-ranking PN official was circulating a declaration among PN MPs on Delia’s current situation and the need for him to step aside. This was corroborated by a number of MPs and high-ranking party officials who, also on condition of anonymity, spoke to this newspaper.

The declaration, this newsroom was told, recognises that Delia’s situation is a problem that he needs to deal with. It recognises that he needs time to think and asks him to step aside.

This newsroom is informed that, up until yesterday, an insufficient number of signatures had been collected; however, if a vote of no confidence is taken against Delia, a number of MPs are expected to vote against the leader.

Last Thursday, during an interview on Indepth, The Malta Independent’s online programme, PN general secretary Clyde Puli was asked what he would do if PN MPs came to him with a declaration of no confidence in Delia. Puli said he would tell them to take it to the PN paid members, “and try to remove him.”

“That is the structure,” Puli said, while implying he did not have the power to oust the leader. He described rumours that Delia had offered his resignation and that he (Puli) had refused to accept it as a complete lie. “Do you think the secretary general would be able to refuse a leader’s resignation?” he asked.

This newspaper is also informed that a number of MPs and officials had already approached the embattled leader personally and told him that his position is no longer tenable, and that Delia replied that he had no intention of budging.

While it has been reported that some MPs have been working to oust Delia before May’s European Parliament election, another group is urging him to take a decision only after the election: “If Delia were to leave now, a few months before the election, the party would descend further into chaos,” one source said.

This newsroom previously asked Adrian Delia about the allegations which have surfaced over the past weeks and months, and whether he feels that staying on as leader would damage the party’s chances in future elections. He was also asked whether he would step down until the matter was resolved in court.

“Unfortunately, we are living in times where some are more interested in character assassination and fake news than searching for the truth and doing the right thing. I have no intention of resigning and abandoning this fight. It would not be the right thing to do,” Delia