Alex Borg and Adrian Delia formally submit PN leadership bids
First debate between the two set for Thursday on NET TV
Alex Borg and Adrian Delia officially submitted their nominations to contest the Nationalist Party leadership on Tuesday.
Following their clearance in the party’s due diligence process, both candidates submitted thousands of nomination signatures in their bid to become the next PN leader.
Borg said he submitted “around 3,000” nominations, while Delia said he submitted “more than 2,000”.
“I have just submitted around 3,000 signatures from the Nationalist Party card holders. It is a good amount, an amount that gives energy and courage,” said Borg.
Alex Borg formally submitting his nominations Photo: PNDelia, meanwhile, said: “We presented more than 2,000 signatures and I want to thank all those who signed.”
In a post on Facebook, the PN said its electoral commission will now verify the validity of the nomination forms before beginning preparations for the September 6 vote.
The PN has around 25,000 paid-up members who will be eligible to cast their vote for either candidate. Just over half those members are aged over 65.
Both candidates had “satisfied the verification criteria” ahead of the election, the party said. The electoral commission received an audit report from the PN’s candidates' commission as part of the process.
Early voting will be held in Malta at Dar Centrali and PN sub-headquarters in Sannat on Wednesday, August 27, and Saturday, August 30. While on Saturday, September 6, polling stations will be open at Dar Ċentrali PN and PN clubs in Safi, Tarxien, and Mġarr in Malta, as well as in Sannat for voters in Gozo.
The next key moment in the campaign will be a first and long-awaited debate between Borg and Delia, which will be broadcast on NET TV this Thursday at 9.35pm.
Adrian Delia formally submitting his nominations Photo: PNAllowing the two candidates to debate each other represents a change of approach from the party: the PN's electoral commission had initially issued rules barring prospective candidates from debating one another or even referring to each other publicly during the campaign.
A leaked internal poll published by Times of Malta last week suggests Borg enjoys broader public support than Delia, though Delia is marginally ahead among Nationalist voters.