The Nationalist Party marked an unusual Independence Day on Monday, with its traditional mass meeting cancelled due to COVID-19 and replaced by two separate addresses by its leadership hopefuls Adrian Delia and Bernard Grech.

Delia and Grech used their Facebook pages to deliver their respective messages marking the 56th anniversary since Malta became a sovereign state.

Pitching their address to the party grassroots, just four days before the start of early voting, both contenders eulogised former Prime Minister and Nationalist leader George Borg Olivier, who led Malta when it was formally granted independence from Britain on this day in 1964.

Both candidates also used their messages to outline their respective visions in a bid to win the vote of party members, who must decide which of the two men will lead the party into the next general election, due by 2022.

The incumbent, Delia, said he would strive to rid Malta of its dependence on corruption, fossil fuels and an economy based on population growth and the importation of modern slavery. He also criticised the government over its handling of the second COVID-19 wave, saying the advice of the medical experts had not been heeded.

Grech said he wanted a society in which people did not have to rely on politicians in order to succeed in life. He also spoke in favour of a fair distribution of wealth and to foster unity.

Both leaders pledged to work to start restoring Malta’s reputation and credibility in fighting financial crime, which they said was destroyed by the Labour government.

Over 21,000 PN members are eligible to vote in the leadership election. The exact number of voters will be known on Wednesday, which is the deadline to regularise any pending membership payments.

According to the statute, only those who have been members for at least two years are allowed to vote in what is known as the general convention.

The week-long election will start on Friday with the early voting and will reach its climax on the evening of Saturday, October 3.