Adrian Delia turned down 2013, 2017 election candidature

Adrian Delia, one of the four candidates vying to replace outgoing Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil, refused to run for the last two general elections on the party’s ticket, despite being asked to do so by senior officials.

Delia is contesting the party’s leadership election together with Chris Said, Alex Perici Calascione and Frank Portelli.

He told MaltaToday that Busuttil, as well as outgoing deputy leader Mario de Marco, had approached him in 2013 and earlier this year to contest the elections with the PN. He had refused on both occasions.

“I have five young children, aged 14, 12, 10, eight and five,” he said. “In 2013, when I was asked first asked to run, my professional life was still at its peak.”

Delia said it would also have been a “very, very difficult” choice to make, because of financial reasons.

As to why he did not join the PN ticket this year, he said that the elections came prematurely. “I was president of a top Maltese football club with a lot of responsibilities and could not simply drop everything.”

Delia confirmed that it was De Marco who had urged him to contest both elections, backed by Busuttil, and other party officials. Delia had given a testimonial in favour of De Marco’s own leadership bid back in 2013, which he had lost to Busuttil.

But Delia said that neither De Marco, nor any other official, had encouraged him to contest the upcoming leadership contest. “De Marco did not contact me, nor did anyone else in the party,” he said.