Adrian Delia’s leadership not on agenda as administrative council meets today

The Nationalist Party’s administrative council will be meeting today, but there is no formal request to discuss the leader of Opposition’s political position.

Backbenchers who spoke to MaltaToday described how Mark Anthony Sammut, President of the PN Executive Council, had approached them to back him on a call for Adrian Delia’s position to be debated. Sammut appears to have been encouraged by two prominent MPs.   

But many MPs have snubbed Mark Anthony Sammut, who today has to face an administrative council consisting of nine members, the majority of whom are Delia backers.

In recent weeks various attempts have been made by a disjointed number of party officials to force Delia out, based on allegations made on social media and fueled by reports in the media.

Adding to this are allegations by his wife in a reply to a court application filed by the PN leader, asking the courts to allow him to see their five children over the Christmas period. The court accepted Delia's request and Delia today has access rights of not less than three times a week.

Last week, MaltaToday reported that efforts were underway to get MPs to sign a declaration stating that they no longer support Delia. Sources who spoke with MaltaToday said that Nationalist MPs Beppe Fenech Adami and Claudette Buttigieg backed the initiative, with Sammut being the one approaching MPs.

Sources who had previously spoken to MaltaToday said that while the leader may not have the support of a majority of the party’s MPs, he was still largely backed by the party’s members.

Despite opposition to his leadership, the PN leader has so far insisted he would not resign. Speaking during TVM radio current affairs programme ‘Ghandi xi Nghid’ – the latest in a series of interviews with the local media over the last two weeks – Delia categorically denied allegations of domestic violence levelled against him by his estranged wife. He also dismissed claims he still owed the taxman €64,000, insisting the claim had been a lie.