Updated at 8.45pm, adds PN statement

Nationalist Party members behind a petition which is seeking a vote of confidence in PN leader Adrian Delia are concerned that the vote scheduled for July 27 will not be fair.

The group, led by former candidate Ivan Bartolo, expressed its concerns on Wednesday in a letter to Alex Perici Calascione, who is the new president of the PN executive.

In a letter, the group said that the party had "completely changed" the wording of the original question petitioners wanted PN councillors to vote on. 

Changed wording

The petition asked for a secret vote on the question: "After the results obtained by the PN in the European and local elections of 25 May 2019, should the party leader take political responsibility and resign? Yes/No.”

"The question has now been changed to something along the lines of 'Do you want Adrian Delia to continue leading the PN into the next general election and undertake reforms needed?'", a source told Times of Malta.

Mr Bartolo speaking outside PN headquarters in June.

The PN executive agreed last week to convene a general council meeting on July 27 in which a vote on Dr Delia's leadership would be taken. 

Wednesday's letter did not say what that wording had been changed to, but said it was "unacceptable" that the PN executive had been misled during last week's meeting, which PN secretary general Clyde Puli was present for.

Such goings on continued to fuel concerns about the way the party was being run, the group said. 

The group presented its petition for the no-confidence vote on June 25. A counter-petition expressing confidence in Dr Delia was presented to the party a few days later.

Mr Bartolo and other petitioners also expressed concern that Mr Puli had laid down that communication with the councils could only be made by the Electoral Commission or through the party.

Despite having presented the petition, the group said, they had no direct access to the councillors to explain their position. 

Last but not least it appeared that the list of eligible voters had been frozen on July 4, when Dr Delia called the council meeting, and not June 25, when the petition was submitted.

The group said it had been informed that in the intervening period internal manoeuvres were made, with instructions to section committees to replace certain people who would have a right to vote in the council.   

"In view of the above, it is clear that the vote will not be a fair one and it will not be based on the promises of transparency and honesty. All this is unacceptable and runs counter to the fundamental principles which the Nationalist Party is supposed to hold dear" the group said.

Dr Perici Calascione was asked to call a special meeting of the executive to remedy the situation.

Party rejects 'insinuations', 'fact-twisting'

In a statement, the Nationalist Party said General Council election rules were established by the statute and by what had been decided by the executive committee.

A fair and transparent process was being ensured through the setting up of an Electoral Commission with an independent chairperson unanimously agreed by the executive committee and by another two members chosen by petitioners from each side. This reflected the sense of transparency and accountability.

It rejected claims of what it called were insinuations and twisting of facts.

The executive, it said, had agreed with the Opposition leader’s proposal to call a General Council under a clause which permitted him to do this. He did this to resolve the doubts that had risen on the validity of the first petition which questioned whether he should remain at the helm. Dr Delia confirmed he would be proposing the question about the continuation of his leadership until the next election.

The list of councillors was frozen on July 4 in line with the statute when the council was called. Sectional committees chose their representatives in the council freely and democratically as they had always done and in line with the statute.

Since the moment the council was called and an electoral commission appointed, the lists and verification obligations were passed on to the commission and no individual or official had the right to change them, the party said.