[WATCH] Bernard Grech: ‘I look Adrian Delia in the eye’

The Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech has insisted there is no rift between him and former leader Adrian Delia.

“I meet Adrian Delia regularly and look him in the eyes when we discuss ideas,” Grech said.

The Opposition leader was fielding questions from ONE News journalist Colin Deguara during an Independence Day political event held at the Floriana granaries.

Grech had become leader of the Nationalist Party last summer, having won the leadership race between him and Delia.

On which electoral district Delia will be contesting, the Nationalist leader said that discussions are still underway.

“Adrian Delia want to contest a certain electoral district, but I feel he should be contesting on another one,” Grech said. “What is most important is not what is best for us, but what is best for the party.”

Grech stopped short of naming the electoral district he felt Delia should contest.

Two weeks ago, a MaltaToday survey showed the gap between Grech and Prime Minister Robert Abela stands at 22 points, with the PN leader shedding 0.9 points since July.

Asked on recent survey results, Grech said that they show the party needs to continue working “relentlessly” everyday.

“We never shied away from challenges, we did not do it when were vying for EU membership, we did not do it when we wanted to introduce the Euro in Malta, and we will not shy away from the general election,” he said.

“You don’t need 44,000 votes, you need 22,000 plus one.”

On recent proposals by the Nationalist Party, Grech said the party has a long-term vision for the country.

“We are not like the Labour government, who imports nurses and construction workers when there are staff shortages. We look at the long-term for our country,” he said.

On the PN’s electoral proposal to purchase the Hondoq area, Grech said he could not say how much the property would cost down the line.

“The price of Hondoq is people’s health, and for people we do everything that is possible,” he said.

The Opposition leader also ruled out a possible coalition between the PN and ADPD, saying that those who believe in the party’s message and want to contribute can do so under the “Nationalist flag”.

“What I can tell you is that the coalition was right, because a Labour government put us on the FATF greylist,” he said.

The Nationalist leader also called on the government to take up a discussion on the situation inside Malta’s prison.

“Let’s talk about the suicides in prison, let’s talk about the different realities of people,” he said.