No final decision on Adrian Delia’s leadership bid is expected this evening, as the PN administrative committee will only be debating the manner in which the allegations levelled against him are to be handled.

This was confirmed by PN sources ahead of an urgent meeting which was convened in the wake of the request of Marsascala local councillor Charlot Cassar last Saturday.

Chaired by MP Karol Aquilina, the administrative committee comprises the head of each branch of the party and a number of officials. However, outgoing treasurer Alex Perici Calascione, one of the four candidates, will not be attending to avoid any potential conflict of interest.

Mr Cassar is requesting that the committee take the necessary steps given the allegations made by blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia against Dr Delia, which go back to 2003. Ms Caruana Galizia is claiming that money from a London-based prostitution racket passed through Dr Delia’s bank account at Barclays International in Jersey.

While some suggested that it could lead to Dr Delia’s suspension from the race, others called for the contest to be called off

Though Dr Delia has denied the claims and is suing the blogger for libel, Mr Cassar insisted that the 1,500 general council members and all paid-up members eligible to vote in the final run-off needed to have clarity before making their choice. At the same time, the contestants had the right to defend themselves, he said.

While no further pronouncements were made, the announcement of an urgent meeting immediately fuelled speculation, especially on social media. While some suggested that it could lead to Dr Delia’s suspension from the race, others called for the contest to be called off.

PN sources who spoke with the Times of Malta yesterday, however, pointed out that it was premature to speculate on the possible outcome at this stage.

“Today’s meeting is not about deciding whether the allegations against Dr Delia are true or not but rather to establish the manner in which such claims should be handled,” they said.

The issue is compounded by the fact that the electoral process has already started, with the early voting held last Saturday, in which 128 general council members cast their ballot.

In a Facebook post, PN media journalist Dione Borg asked why the party had not taken up his June proposal for due diligence on the candidates, despite that the contestants had agreed.

The issue is unlikely to be resolved this evening and will probably drag on in the run-up to next Saturday’s vote.