A defiant Adrian Delia declared on Thursday night he was still leader of the opposition and the Nationalist Party despite the majority of his MPs nominating an alternative.
Delia met President George Vella on Thursday after Nationalist Party MPs triggered a process designed to oust him as opposition leader. They are proposing Therese Comodini Cachia to take over as opposition leader.
In a post on Facebook on Thursday evening, Delia said these were difficult times brought about by the party’s own people.
"I was elected as leader of this big party so that together we will implement 'A New Way' and I have tried, over and over again, to do this."
"This has not been easy to do and the old ways have fought back but I am still here..."
He said he was hurt and angry by the developments and he was aware that party supporters were too.
He pledged that action would be taken at the opportune moment and within the party structures.
Meanwhile, Delia appeared to reach out to dissenting MPs and said he remained open to discussion and reconciliation.
He told supporters: "You are our people who count, you count for the party and for me. I will not lose heart and will not abandon you or the party.
"Together we can overcome this obstacle stronger than ever."
Televised address
Speaking on Net TV a few minutes later, he said he had informed the president that as leader of the PN, he had decided to carry out the mandate entrusted to him by party members and in line with the party statute.
Delia said that while the president had launched the verification process to see if it was correct that 17 PN MPs had lost their confidence in him, they also had to say if they were to continue representing the Nationalist Party.
"Everyone has to shoulder their responsibilities. All MPs had to decide whether they were to remove the opposition leader or not. If the opposition leader was removed, the opposition still had to be headed by the party which had a majority of MPs."
He said it was not true that Therese Comodini Cachia was the new leader of the opposition.
“The opposition leader today is Adrian Delia because I am still leader of the party,” he said.
“We have given our members the strength to decide who they want as their leader and I will remain loyal to them till the very end.”
Delia said the country was currently facing major challenges and was mired in corruption.
“I will not take a step back and abandon the party at this time. I will do anything not to betray those who always loved the country and the party. I will carry my responsibility and ask you to be behind the PN, which is fighting corruption."
There were a few who could choose to hinder this process but the real Nationalists would continue to support the party.
His appeal to members, Delia said, was not to lose heart. “I will never lose heart and I thank the hundreds, if not thousands, who in the past days called and came, sent their messages on social media, and offered their prayers. Your words and help count, you can be part of the fight."