Anti-Delia posters stuck to Labour Party clubs as pressure mounts on embattled leader

The latest move in a tit-for-tat poster war between different factions within the PN continued last night, with a number of posters linking Adrian Delia to the Labour Party attached to various Labour Party clubs around the island.

PN supporters who are calling for their party leader’s resignation stuck posters with a photo of Delia and the words “Let Adrian Delia work” printing as though it were the front page of the General Workers Union newspaper it-Torċa, outside 11 Labour Party clubs.

The posters were stuck onto clubs in Ħaż-Żebbuġ, Attard, Mosta, Żurrieq, Qormi and Xewkija, among others.

A poster was also stuck onto an election campaign banner by MEP candidate Frank Psaila, who was widely seen as Delia’s candidate in the race.

In a statement, the anonymous protestors said that the Labour Party had a vested interest in Delia remaining at the helm of the PN. They said that just as the PN was guaranteed to remain in government during former Labour Party leader Alfred Sant’s tenure, Labour was guaranteed to remain in government as long as Delia remained leader.

Also last night, a poster was attached the National Party headquarters which read “A vote against Delia is a vote against paid-up members”. Delia is the first PN leader to have been elected by the party’s paid-up members.

READ MORE: Open rebellion inside Nationalist Party as MPs tell Adrian Delia to go

The Nationalist Party has been characterised by infighting between different factions ever since Delia was elected leader in September 2017.

Earlier this week, Delia loyalists attached posters with the words “Let Adrian Delia work”, which highlighted that both former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, and his successor Simon Busuttil had lost elections by unprecedented margins.

The posters were a response to another series of messages affixed to PN clubs stating that the party’s supporters wanted a leader who was not an embarrassment.

The embattled leader is facing calls for his resignation by way of taking responsibility for the PN’s huge electoral loss in last month’s MEP and local council elections.

During two parliamentary group meetings this week, Delia was told in no unclear terms that MPs no longer had faith in his leadership and that the party was unelectable with him at the helm.

Delia has repeatedly said that he would not resign, and that he would take the PN to the next general election.

READ ALSO: Six reasons why PN leader Adrian Delia could stay on