‘Don’t call me or send people to my house’, Charles Azzopardi tells Prime Minister

Seventh district casual election candidate Charles Azzopardi has told the Prime Minister not to call him or send people to his house, following Gavin Gulia’s resignation from MP on Wednesday.

In a bizarre move, Gavin Gulia resigned from parliament seconds after being sworn in. He won a casual election for the 7th District seat vacated by Edward Scicluna after obtaining 2,216 votes in a runoff with Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando. 

The other candidate vying for the seat, Charles Azzopardi, was the first to be eliminated. Azzopardi had fallen out with Labour in 2019 when he was stopped from contesting the Rabat local election.

Taking to Facebook, Azzopardi said Gulia's move signalled the death of the country’s democracy. 

“It is important to have a doctor co-opted so he can care for parliament, and to serve in cabinet when needed,” Azzopardi said, hinting at Zebbug mayor Malcom Paul Galea's possible co-option.

“The country’s destiny is in danger,” he said. 

Azzopardi said that while he expected such a move, he didn’t expect it within 24 hours of the by-election result. 

“No wonder no one was present in the counting hall, because it didn’t matter who was elected,” he said. 

READ ALSO: Newly-elected MP Gavin Gulia resigns, opens up Labour co-option