Gejtu Vella resigns from PN electoral commission one week into appointment

The chairman of the Nationalist Party’s electoral commission, Gejtu Vella, has resigned his post a week into his appointment.

The former Union Haddiema Maghqudin secretary-general informed PN secretary-general Francis Zammit Dimech he was resigning – just days after being appointed to the role – with immediate effect “after some days of reflection”.

But Vella’s resignation came hot on the heels of a heated telephone exchange with Delia, sources told MaltaToday, over a disagreement with another electoral commission board member, Danica Caruana over the days the commission could meet.

On his part, PN leader Adrian Delia said he had no squabble with Vella. In a statement, the PN categorically denied any feud between Vella and Delia that could have led to his resignation. “This is an outright lie. Following this story, Gejtu Vella was spoken to who categorically denied the published calumny. There was absolutely no feud between Adrian Delia and Gejtu Vella.”

Partit Nazzjonalista demands the publication of this statement in its entirety according to the Broadcasting Act.

The new commission was only approved last week on 14 July by the PN’s executive committee, which appointed Vella as its chairperson, together Ivan Castillo, Marion Portelli, George Cremona and Caruana as members.

The same meeting approved the composition for the PN’s ethics and discipline commission, which is chaired by Prof. Joe Pirotta, and has as members Roberta Bonello, Jean Karl Soler, Michael Laferla and Arthur Galea Salomone.

The two commissions were part of a reform announced by the PN in the last months.