PN grandee Louis Galea turns his back on Delia, calls for new leadership election

Updated at 1:24 pm with Richard Muscat statement

Nationalist Party grandee Louis Galea has turned his back on PN leader Adrian Delia, calling on him to resign after losing another confidence vote in the party’s executive committee. 

Galea, a former minister tasked with heading the PN’s internal reform, declared in a statement that after losing two confidence motions, the PN clearly had to carry out a new leadership election.

“It is totally wrong for Adrian Delia to devalue these organs and say that such votes with a clear majority have no consequence. The votes of MPs elected by thousands and members of the executive committee, elected from all tiers of the party, are not votes against the party’s interests but a free and democratic expression of what is best for the party to get back on the track of success. 

“I don’t know of any democratic country where a political leader loses the confidence of the majority of his MPs and his national executive, and this leader does not choose the obvious and honourable path and paves the way for a change in governance.” 

Galea said he supported former PM Lawrence Gonzi’s call for a new leadership election, and called on Delia to stop abusing of the loyalty of the party members who elected him. 

Galea said that any serious party with such dismal performance in the last three years would have taken recourse to remedy its leadership. “Three years ago a majority of the PN chose Adrian Delia as party leader on the promise that he would implement a ‘new way’ of politics and that he would win back the people’s trust that... After three years his electors not only see this promise not come true, but saw the party suffer an haemorrhage of support and trust.” 

Galea said that unless the PN has a leadership that could unite the kaleidoscope of opinions the PN has always embrace, “which inspires trust and works for the fullness of their aspirations” no Statute could translate into the good that it has the aim to reach. 

Galea said it should be clear to Adrian Delia that if he really wants the best for the PN, he should unblock any obstacle towards a new leadership election. 

Galea said the new Statute clearly states that the PN leader is accountable to sectional committees, the parliamentary group, other administrative organs and the General Council. "Nobody would dream of saying that should a government lose a vote of trust in MPs it could say that there is no consequence because it was elected by its citizens and not MPs.” 

Former MP Richard Muscat calls for leadership change

Former MP and Minister Richard Muscat has spoken out against the PN’s leadership, stating Adrian Delia’s ousting is the only way forward for the party.

Muscat said there are more than enough reasons to see that a solution can only be found through a change in leadership.

“For me this is not a question of loyalty towards one individual,” he said, stressing his loyalty is “not at all costs”.

“I set a price on loyalty, and that price is my principles, the common good and the interests of the party,” he said.

He also said the country is calling for a sense of reason and responsibility from each and every member of the party executive to “untie the knot which is suffocating” the party.

Muscat also said the executive is obliged to bring to an end the ongoing saga.

“In the dramatic position the party finds itself in, I see no future for the party,” he said.