Adrian Delia tells dissidents: ‘Anyone who isn’t behind the leader shouldn’t be in the party’

The PN leader said a WhatsApp message he sent to the party's administrative council was intended to strengthen members' resolve • Adrian Delia claims he has come across a number of allegedly leaked recordings which were fabricated

Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia said that those who did not support their leader should not be in the party
Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia said that those who did not support their leader should not be in the party

Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia has insisted that any party member that isn’t behind him shouldn’t be in the party.

“We must be one party, behind one leader and whoever has a problem with the leader should speak up…Anyone who isn’t behind the party leader shouldn’t be in the party,” Delia said in comments to Newsbook.

Newsbook sought replies from the PN leader after a WhatsApp message from Delia to the PN’s administrative council on Monday morning was leaked to the press.

Reacting to the story, PN administrative council president David Stellini told MaltaToday that while the message should have remained private, he was concerned with the level of mistrust among party members. He said that the party needed to have a "no limits" discussion "on everything and everyone".

In his message, Delia appears to be calling on members to unite against those we were betraying Delia and the party. “We are at war, not doubt remains,” read one line of Delia’s early morning message.

The PN leader reiterated his belief that a series of leaks of private messages and videos over the last couple of weeks were an attempt to reverse gains made by the party in MaltaToday’s latest political survey.

The survey published in December found that Delia’s trust rating increased by seven points to 24.7%. However, he still trailed Prime Minister Joseph Muscat by 27 points.

In his comments to Newsbook, Delia said that his WhatsApp message to the administrative council was intended to strengthen the resolve of those who were close and who are important to the party given that attacks against him were set to continue.

“These attacks will continue but we must be strong and united, and we must decide who is with us and who is against us,” Delia said, adding that he had received an overwhelming level of support following the claims made about him.  

Turning to the actual recordings, Delia said he could not be ‘generic’ and state that all of the recordings were original recordings. He said that some of the recordings he had heard were indeed fabrications while some were very heavily edited.

Illum reported on Monday evening that several PN MPs were prepared to sign a declaration of no confidence in Delia and present it to President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca. According to the constitution if Delia loses the support of the majority of Opposition MPs - which includes the Democratic Party's two MPs - the President may be forced to choose somebody else to lead the parliamentary Opposition. 

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