PN executive to discuss petition asking for action against rebel MPs

A group of PN members last week presented the party with a petition expressing support for Adrian Delia but which also called for action to be taken against those who don’t toe the party line

The PN's executive committee will be discussing a petition in support of PN leader Adrian Delia
The PN's executive committee will be discussing a petition in support of PN leader Adrian Delia

The Nationalist Party’s executive committee will be discussing a petition expressing support in Adrian Delia and seeking action against rebel MPs, the party said on Sunday.

On Wednesday, a group of party members presented general council president Kristy Debono with two petitions in support of Delia.

One petition accumulated 4,333 signatures from paid-up members, while a further 536 signatures were collected from general council members.

In a statement on Sunday, Debono said that after verifying the signatures she was forwarding the request to the executive committee in accordance with the party’s statute.

Debono said that 24 signatures were invalid because they belonged to individuals with no right to vote in the general council. Six signatures couldn’t be accepted because they had not renewed their party membership and were no longer considered members.

Seven had last paid their membership in 2017 while 70 had last paid it in 2018.

The number of signatures was however more than the 150 required for the request to be discussed.

The petition calls on the general council to “start a process of change for the PN to become a winning party once again”. It also calls on the party to open its doors to all those who have the interest of the party at heart and for all those who wish to contribute to the party to be able to do so, to request that all party members and officials work together towards the same goal and for “all the necessary steps to be taken with regard to those MPs or officials who continue to refuse to work collectively with the leader and the party’s administration, for them to stop doing harm to the party”.

The council is also being called upon to start a process through which supporters who were set aside by those determined to keep control of the party can be brought back into the fold.