Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1208901
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 FEBRUARY 2020 NEWS Adrian Delia may be sinking at the polls but he still has one ace up his sleeve: his own determination to stay on. Any process to forcefully evict him could cause greater harm to the party, explaining his stubborn refusal to leave. Can the rebels afford to backtrack again? JAMES DEBONO asks THE rebels inside the PN know that there is only one way to change the party's leader with- out spilling blood: that of con- vincing him to step down hon- ourably out of his own volition. It is a course of action that would trigger an election for a new leader who would be in a position to start a new page, just as Robert Abela is doing inside Labour. But Adrian Delia is insisting that he is here to stay, to lead the party into the next elec- tion. Defying an open rebellion from MPs, he has thrown the ball back in their court just as he did last time round when he faced similar calls to resign af- ter a disastrous performance in MEP and local elections. Back then the rebel MPs refrained from a showdown in the par- liamentary group. Instead they collected signatures to convene the party's General Council. Delia accepted the challenge and was confirmed party lead- er by more than two-thirds of councillors. There is no guarantee that he won't survive another attempt to remove him, even if his in- effectiveness during Labour's recent crisis may have further weakened him internally. A parliamentary coup? The rebels may have an easier path to force Delia out but this could be even messier. They may remove him as Op- position leader and appoint someone else, hoping that this would make Delia realise that his time as party leader is up. But Delia knows that MPs are hesitant. Removing him from leader of the Opposition does not remove him from party leader. The nightmare scenario for the party would be that of having two leaders, one in par- liament and one entrenched in the party headquarters. That would be the ultimate turn-off for voters. Delia would then be in a position to de- nounce a palace coup by MPs who have repeatedly ignored the mandate given to him by party members in 2017 which was confirmed just two months ago by two-thirds of the party's councillors. If this happens the rebels will have only way left: that of reconvening councillors once again, for the second time in the space of a year to pass a no confidence vote in Delia. Even this would be difficult because technically the party statute does not foresee any mechanism to remove a leader elected by party members. And even if they succeed, Delia may still choose to contest again in the internal contest to elect a new leader. For according to the statute, the prerogative of electing a new leader belongs exclusively to members. So lonely The rebels may be stronger this time round for the simple reason that Delia is more alone than ever. His position is ren- dered untenable by the sheer fact that he lacks a strong team around him. He has lost valuable allies like media chief Pierre Portelli who resigned from chairman of the party's media in June last year, and now MP Kristy Debono from president of the par- ty's General Council. Deputy leader for party affairs Robert Arrigo's decision to resign, al- though triggered by the general situation, in the party includ- ing the insubordination of the The Delia paradox: lame duck or Born under a bad cloud... The rebels still lack one important ingredient in their strateg y – an alternative leader. For even if they press on with their attempt to remove Delia from Opposition leader, they will have to unite behind one MP who enjoys the majority of support of Opposition MPs JAMES DEBONO Soho – August 2017 • Daphne Caruana Galizia reveals that the PN leadership contender had lent his corporate services to a Maltese property owner whose portfolio includes brothels in London's Soho. The matter is today under an FIAU investigation. Simon Busuttil calling him to withdraw leadership – August 2017 • The outgoing PN leader joins the fray, saying Delia should not run for the leadership as the PN executive convenes to discuss the allegations. Debt issues – September 2017 • MaltaToday reveals that the aspiring leader has millions in debts from a Gozo property deal, the project of which remains unfinished. IVF leave – October 2017 • Delia's first foray in policy, opposing paid leave for IVF patients, is a flop that appeases only his hardline conservative MPs. Pierre Portelli resignation – June 2018 • Chief ally and