Adrian Delia has dismissed critics fanning the "scaremongering" claim that the Nationalist Party would turn into a photocopy of the Labour Party if he was elected leader.

Such claims were made by people who showed they have no faith in councillors and members, he said. 

The PN has no crisis of values and principles, and if he was elected leader there was no way the party would be "Labour Mark 2", Dr Delia assured PN members and supporters in Sliema.

The lawyer is up against MP Chris Said in a two-horse race to succeed Simon Busuttil in the PN leadership election on September 16. 

The days of "yesterday's politicians" who believed that they alone hold the right key, was over, Dr Delia said.

He pledged to adopt a strong position against certain laws being pushed by the government, especially a proposal to "commercialise" prostitution, and chastised Health Minister Chris Fearne for saying that the taking of drugs was a personal choice.

He also promised to protect workers who were subject to vindictive transfers under the Labour government. 

Malta, he stressed, needed long-term solutions, not parties who worked for votes every five years. 

"Party members have a golden opportunity to give themselves a stronger voice by turning the PN into a party belonging to the people and working for the people."

He expressed his disappointment that the PN only had one political club in the 10th district, traditionally a Nationalist stronghold.