High-profile Delia sceptics skipped PN executive meeting - sources

Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia ‘survived’ a three-hour-long meeting of the executive committee on Wednesday without any calls for a secret vote about his leadership being made, Times of Malta learnt. The executive committee is the party’s second-highest decision-making organ. A show of hands, made upon a proposal by MP Mario Galea, saw the committee unanimously declare their confidence and support in Dr Delia. A source well-versed with the committee’s procedures said it was normal for votes to be taken by a show of hands, unless a secret ballot was specifically requested. “One could argue that the request for a vote should have come from Adrian Delia,” one of those present told Times of Malta. Party sources said that although the meeting was well attended, a number of high-profile MPs who privately expressed doubts about Dr Delia’s leadership were not present. “Those who oppose Dr Delia probably chose to stay away from the meeting because they would be loath to have openly voted in favour of him but would not want to be seen voting against him either,” one source remarked. Some of those who attended the meeting and who spoke to the newspaper insisting on anonymity...