Ousted Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia on Saturday lamented the resistance within the party to the "revolution" he tried to bring about, but pledged his absolutely loyalty to new leader Bernard Grech as he indicated he would remain in politics.

Speaking to the press shortly after conceding the leadership election, Delia insisted his three-year tenure had not been a failure. 

"Perhaps the revolution I wanted to see in the party was premature, or perhaps there were too many elements in the party that resisted it," he said. "Maybe in three years you cannot change 140 years of history. But that doesn't mean that the revolution cannot happen. I will continue to fight for what I believe in."

He said the outcome of the election was not a defeat for himself or his team but a victory for the party, and urged it to move on from the internal squabbles that dominated his tenure. 

"The country needs a strong and united Nationalist Party. I will be loyal to the country first and foremost and loyal to the party. I will be loyal to the party leader. I am ready to offer all my support to the party leader — the support and loyalty I never received."

Delia to keep his parliamentary seat

Delia said he would not be resigning his seat in Parliament and would continue his work in politics. He said he was committed to seeing the Vitals court case through to its conclusion, and to continue to work against corruption and in favour of "democracy, justice and the truth". 

He urged his supporters not to consider the election result a defeat and to continue working towards the goal of a Nationalist Party that was "truly representative of all". 

In another swipe at his critics and opponents within the party, he said Grech's elected had shown once again — after his own leadership — that the party members wanted new faces to lead it.

"Every member of the party should now examine their conscience," he said. "The message today is not only towards its leader but also towards those who need to may need to step aside in order for new faces to enter the party.

"I pledged three years ago to fight corruption, and also to fight hatred. I do not believe in the politics of hatred. We have to eliminate hatred from politics. Politics is there to help and serve. I have given everything for politics and I do not intend to go back."