‘PN leadership has no qualms pitting Nationalists against Nationalists’

Five Nationalist Party councillors who fronted a petition to oust Adrian Delia have denounced the leadership’s “divide-and-rule” methods after signatories were leaked to the press.

The condemnation came on the back of a report in It-Torċa on Sunday, which lifted the lid on the petition signatories after the data was leaked to the General Workers’ Union newspaper.

The report identified several councillors close to PN MPs, including brothers of former leadership contender Chris Said, who signed the petition to oust Delia.

The statement was signed by former PN candidate Ivan Bartolo, former executive president Mark Anthony Sammut, MZPN secretary Emma Portelli Bonnici and councillors Emvin Bartolo and Martin Musumeci.

They have fronted the petition that gathered 200 signatures, calling for an extraordinary general council to debate a motion asking Delia to assume responsibility for the European and local election losses in May and resign.

The petition was addressed to general council president Kristy Debono. She has forwarded the request to the PN executive to set a date and the agenda for an extraordinary general council.

In their statement the group said: “We are very disappointed that data which was in possession of the party leadership has been leaked to the media, exposing names of party councillors who simply exercised their democratic right of asking for the general council to be convened as allowed by the party statute, with the aim of harassing and intimidating them and others who share the same opinion.”

The five councillors said the leak exposed the “divide-and-rule method repeatedly used by those close to the current party leadership”.

The group accused the people within the leadership of pitting “Nationalists against Nationalists as long as it protects the status quo”.

The development is the latest in a long-drawn out saga that sees the PN split on whether Delia should continue to lead the party.

On Saturday, PN MP Ryan Callus said removing Delia will not solve the PN's problems. Callus insisted Delia should stay on as leader but drastic reforms allowing everyone to voice their opinions must be implemented.

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