Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia ‘survived’ a three-hour-long meeting of the executive committee on Wednesday without any calls for a secret vote about his leadership being made, Times of Malta learnt.
The executive committee is the party’s second-highest decision-making organ.
A show of hands, made upon a proposal by MP Mario Galea, saw the committee unanimously declare their confidence and support in Dr Delia.
A source well-versed with the committee’s procedures said it was normal for votes to be taken by a show of hands, unless a secret ballot was specifically requested. “One could argue that the request for a vote should have come from Adrian Delia,” one of those present told Times of Malta.
Party sources said that although the meeting was well attended, a number of high-profile MPs who privately expressed doubts about Dr Delia’s leadership were not present.
“Those who oppose Dr Delia probably chose to stay away from the meeting because they would be loath to have openly voted in favour of him but would not want to be seen voting against him either,” one source remarked.
Some of those who attended the meeting and who spoke to the newspaper insisting on anonymity described the meeting as “productive”, with Dr Delia once again fielding questions about members’ concerns.
The party sources said there was a general acceptance among those who opposed Dr Delia’s leadership that nothing could be gained at this stage by forging ahead with calls for his resignation. “We really need to focus on the upcoming elections. It is time for as to all work together”, one source said.
The executive committee met on the back of a “fiery” assembly of the PN’s parliamentary group on Monday. Then, too, Dr Delia did not face any calls for his resignation from MPs, though nor were any public pronouncements backing his leadership made.
The PN’s administrative council expressed its unanimous backing of Dr Delia in January. This had been announced by the party in a brief statement, as was the case with the outcome of the executive committee meeting but no statement was issued after the Nationalists MPs met.
An MP who spoke to Times of Malta on Thursday also admitted that the time for dissent had passed. “It is now time to turn our energies towards the MEP and local council elections. We will see whether the support for Adrian Delia emanating from the party structures is reflected in the wider public,” the MP commented.