Combative Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi fails to get elected

Two leading MPs in the Nationalist Party have failed to get elected despite their frontline presence with civil society activists calling for justice on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Both Jason Azzopardi and Karol Aquilina could miss out on representation in the House unless they are elected in a casual election.

Azzopardi lost his seat to former PN executive committee president Mark Anthony Sammut, who was elected to parliament on two districts for the first time ever: the fourth district, and the 10th district.

Azzopardi was neither elected on the 9th district, where deputy leader Robert Arrigo and newcomer Joe Giglio got the first seats, apart from also winning seats on the 10th district.

According to internal PN rules, Arrigo and Giglio will vacate the seat where they got the least votes, for a casual election to take place.

New PN candidates who made it to Parliament, including Joe Giglio, Ivan Castillo, Darren Carabott, Jerome Caruana Cilia, Justin Schembri, and Alex Borg.

Also making it to the House on a double constituency was former PN leader Adrian Delia, who was ousted by a backbench rebellion that sought to elect PN leader Bernard Grech instead.

Both MPs later faced a threat of expulsion with Bernard Grech having to get the two warring MPs to get off each other’s back.

Grech placed both MPs under huge duress, including Azzopardi, who played a central role last year in mounting the challenge to Delia’s leadership.