Updated 10.15am

PN contender Adrian Delia's decision to press ahead with his challenge for the party leadership has generated a strong reaction from the party, with the president of the administrative council Karol Aquilina saying he - and the whole council - agreed with Simon Busuttil's position that Dr Delia should withdraw.

Dr Aquilina confirmed to the Times of Malta that the decision of the Administrative Council had been unanimous and that there had been a free and open discussion.

"This was the final stand taken by the party. Now, whether he withdraws or not, the election will go ahead," he said.

One of the people on the council who voted in favour of the statement was assistant secretary general Jean Pierre Debono, who earlier this week had been embroiled in allegations on Daphne Caruana Galizia's blog as being in a WhatsApp group promoting Dr Delia as a candidate.

The PN  council decided yesterday evening that the party leadership election would continue as scheduled but it said candidate Adrian Delia should consider his position in the light of findings by the party's Ethics Committee.

But Dr Delia in a swift reaction said he would stay in the fight because the Ethics Committee had found nothing against him and the council was 'twisting' the committee's findings to tarnish him.

In another reaction, outgoing party leader Simon Busuttil said that were he in Dr Delia's position, he would drop out of the race after the ethics committee report.

Watch: PN election to go ahead, Adrian Delia to fight on despite council call to consider his position

 

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