In a stern warning to his critics in the wake of reports of internal dissent which could lead to a challenge to his leadership, Nationalist leader Adrian Delia this morning declared he would stick to his guns and go nowhere.
“The PN will remain more than ever the most relevant party, not numerically. And to those who think that despite all the criticism and attacks, I will leave and be afraid, my reply is that I am here to stay,” Dr Delia declared.
The PN leader was addressing the party's general council for the first time since his election last September.
His speech was delivered on the same day as a survey conducted by GWU Sunday paper It-Torċa showed that the PN is trailing the PL by 75,000 votes.
READ: No coup, just some internal turbulence, Delia insists
Greeted by the spontaneous singing of the PN anthem by supporters who flocked to the party headquarters in Pieta, Dr Delia started off his speech saying he would strive to remain in touch with the people.
“I know we are at a crossroad and this is not an easy moment,” he said.
The PN leader noted that even by government’s own admission the Budget had become irrelevant in the wake of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination .
“We are no longer asking where the surplus is, but rather where is justice for Ms Caruana Galizia and her family”.
“Meanwhile the Prime Minister is selling passports in Dubai. Are we living in parallel worlds?” he asked.
The PN leader said that the party was adopting a new approach in the manner it translated its values as the fight against corruption to people’s everyday lives.
“If a united PN will not explain its fight to the vulnerable, it is useless to talk about justice.”
The PN leader accused the government of muzzling liberty, not through physical violence but by the systematic erosion of vital institutions. At the same time, however, the people seemed to be uninterested in all this, he said.
“Some might say 'petrol prices have not gone up despite the collapse of rule of law. Why should I worry?'” he remarked.
“The new way of politics is to explain how such reasoning is flawed,” Dr Delia said.
Internal issues
Touching on the internal situation within the PN, he said this was part of a positive renewal process, following four successive elections with huge margins.
“We need to examine why despite saying the right things, people are not understanding our message,” he remarked.
“But if anybody thinks that at this moment we can afford infighting without having any consequences, he is wrong,” he warned.
Nonetheless, the party had to put the country’s interests before party, he told the general council.
“If we do not rise to the occasion nobody will.”
The PN leader said that everything had a price for this government, but nothing had value.
“We know the price of everything and the value of nothing,” he said to applause.
'Delia insults all Maltese by saying they were bribed' - PL
In its reaction to Dr Delia's speech, the Labour Party homed in on his musing that having money in their pockets had lulled Maltese into a sense of indifference.
"People who worked hard were called anaesthetised [illupjati] by the Opposition leader, who implied that Maltese people do not care about justice and liberty," the PL said.
"He even said people had been bought, because they made their choices in the last general election."
The PN leader, Labour said, had again failed to say where he wanted to take the PN and the country.