Nationalist veteran Francis Zammit Dimech has offered to help unite the party during a meeting with leader Adrian Delia, the former MEP said.

Speaking on NET TV, Dr Zammit Dimech said he believed his role within the party would be to help heal and to unite those with different opinions.

Dr Zammit Dimech told the Times of Malta that Dr Delia was "open to the idea". 

"I believe this is what the party needs the most - to calmly analyse the situation," he said, admitting last weekend’s election results had been disappointing.

This is not the first time that the party turned to stalwarts to solve internal rifts.

After Dr Delia asked former leader Simon Busuttil to suspend himself from the PN parliamentary group in the wake of the publication of the Egrant inquiry, Dr Zammit Dimech, former PN leader Lawrence Gonzi and former deputy leader Tonio Borg were roped in to avoid a split in the party.

Dr Delia had called on Dr Zammit Dimech to remain active within the party after the former MEP contested this year's elections but failed to obtain a seat. 

Dr Zammit Dimech said he still wanted to remain of service to the PN. "This is a big party and we want it to get stronger," he said.

The government had already captured institutions, leaving democracy under threat, Dr Zammit Dimech said. The country now desperately needed a united Opposition that used its wide range of resources, he added.

His first appeal to party members was to start expressing their opinions face-to-face, rather than on Facebook.

He also urged supporters to contain their anger. 

"I never suggest something I do not practice," he said. "Look at me, I am not expressing this with anger. I am here with the same smile, will and political energy - but I do not want to use it for myself. I want to extend it to the party," he added.