[WATCH] PN rebels undeterred, call for ‘serious, honest and credible’ leader for Nationalist Party

PN rebels undeterred, call for ‘serious, honest and credible’ leader for Nationalist Party

The Nationalist Party has been split even further after a group of at least 16 MPs who told the President of the Republic they no longer trust Adrian Delia as Opposition leader, said they will continue urging the PN to have a new leader. 

In a statement issued shortly after Delia’s livestreamed address, the MPs said they wanted the PN to be led by “a person of integrity, somebody serious, honest and credible and who puts the national interest and the PN’s before his personal interest.” 

The statement is their most vehement repudiation yet of party leader Adrian Delia, who despite losing trust from the majority of MPs remains Opposition leader only by dint of Article 90(2) of the Constitution, which only recognises the leader of the largest party in opposition in Parliament as such. 

Nationalist MP Therese Comodini Cachia, now the official pretender to the role of Opposition leader, said she will continue serving the PN “in light of the hope we have brought to those who have joined us with this courageous step we took.” 

The MPs said they will work towards “bringing about the necessary change in the PN and our country.” 

They said taht Adrian Delia had been officially confirmed as having lost their trust by the validation carried out by the President, and that Therese Comodini Cachia was his rightful replacement as Opposition leader. 

“The President has confirmed Delia does not enjoy the trust of the absolute majority of PN MPs. He had the duty to remove him as Opposition leader and appoint that person who enjoys such trust. This is what the Constitution says and what the President neglected from doing. His decision goes against the Constitution as explained by authoritative experts whose names have been made public,” the MPs said.