Robert Arrigo will not seek second term as PN deputy leader

PN deputy leader for party affairs Robert Arrigo has said he will not contest any roles within the party in the upcoming general council.

Speaking on programme NET Live, Arrigo said he will step down as deputy leader once his term ends.

“I hope the party understands what is going on, and how we can move forward,” he said.

Arrigo was elected PN deputy leader in November 2017, together with David Agius, taking over from Beppe Fenech Adami, having captured 86% of the vote. He had beaten Toni Bezzina for the post.

MaltaToday tried reaching out to PN deputy leader David Agius, to ask whether he would be contesting the PN deputy leadership, but all communication was left unanswered.

Robert Arrigo said on NET Live he will continue working for Malta and the Nationalist Party, while thanking the electorate and the general public for “their constant support”.

Hours after Labour’s landslide victory a week ago, Arrigo took to Twitter and posted "Please help us Roberta", in reference to the Nationalist MEP and European Parliament president Roberta Metsola.

His tweet came shortly after the current Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech said he would contest the coming PN leadership election. The Nationalist Party is required to hold a leadership contest after every election loss.

The tweet was seen as a clear snub towards the current PN leader. Bernard Grech "inherited" Arrigo and Agius as deputy leaders, both of whom were elected under Grech's predecessor Adrian Delia.

Arrigo had also taken over as PN treasurer from Antoine Zammit in September 2019, after a video was broadcast of him complaining to an IPTV supplier over barred access to adult channels.

He had stepped down in 2020, after claiming he was at the end of “countless attacks” he has received since former leader Adrian Delia lost a confidence vote filed by rebel MPs back in June.

READ ALSO: Arrigo unclear about future with Bernard Grech as PN leader