Manuel Delia, architect of transport reform, 'not approved PN candidate'

The architect of the public transport reform, and head of secretariat in Austin Gatt's ministry, is "not an approved candidate for the general elections", the Nationalist Party announced yesterday.

Delia's candidature for the fifth district had already started prior to the launch of the public transport reform, but the PN executive committee yesterday "reprimanded" him for representing himself as a candidate when he had not yet been approved by the PN.

Delia, whose fifth district candidature had already started before public transport reform threatened his minister's survival, was eyed as an attempt by the party machine to starve Nationalist backbencher Franco Debono from votes that would have allowed him to retain his parliamentary seat.

Debono abstained on the Labour motion of resignation against Austin Gatt over the public transport fiasco, but while he was adamant that the minister had to take "individual responsiblity" for the failure of the reform, the more critical observers of his move felt that Debono was pulling the rug from underneath the party-backed Delia.

Debono's sudden surge of popularity in the fifth district in 2008 led to the ousting of veteran minister Louis Galea from parliament. His subsequent parliamentary abstention on a particular vote during December 2009 allowed him to make his mark by endangering Lawrence Gonzi's wafer-thin majority. His rebellion eventually led to the creation of a system of parliamentary assistants, who perform the role of ceremonial adjutants to ministers.

Delia's personal website www.delia.pn was developed by the company 2i Ltd, which has already been awarded a direct order from Gatt’s Ministry for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications to develop the website for Transport Malta. Several other websites – Malta IT Agency (MITA) and passaporti.gov.mt – falling under MITC’s portfolio, and even the ministry’s website itself, have also been developed by 2i Ltd.

And TV presenter Lou Bondì – cousin of the minister – had already obliged with a public endorsement of Delia in a political event for Zurrieq constituents. “The country needs people with his intelligence, integrity and passion for politics,” Bondì told an audience for Delia’s first event.

In a message to his constituents during one of his campaign events, Delia said the fifth district “needs a new generation of candidates.”

“People like ministers Louis Galea and Ninu Zammit worked hard to throw money down these parts… I’m proud to have worked hard, in my way, to intensify efforts for road construction in these towns,” Delia said about his ministry’s contribution to the district.