Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1208901
13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 FEBRUARY 2020 NEWS rebels, still weakens Delia as it confirms the impression of a meltdown. Another blow for Delia was Louis Galea's mis- sive in which he not only ques- tioned the party leader for not honouring a pledge for a more inclusive leadership team, but also called on the party to con- vene the executive to start the process of electing a new lead- ership. This was a devastating blow for the simple reason that before securing the councillors' vote, Delia had tied his own fu- ture to the reform presided by the former minister and party grandee. The final blow was the resig- nation of close ally Clyde Puli from the post of general secre- tary. In short Delia has been aban- doned. It is difficult to see him leading the Opposition, with leading spokespersons open- ly questioning his leadership. If he stays on, he will be con- demning the party to chaos as the rupture is now beyond re- pair. But why is Delia holding on? The question is: is he ready to do that and for what rea- son? The reason may well be personal dignity. He may well have given a lot to the party in terms of personal life sacrifice, and he expects it to give him the fair chance of leading it for one term. But Delia also lives under a cloud of suspicion: that his po- litical choices are also dictat- ed by personal considerations, namely that his political clout offers him a degree of protec- tion from his business and ju- dicial troubles. Such doubts on his moral integrity crippled De- lia's 'new way' since they weak- ened both his sense of outrage at Labour's corruption and also any attempt at building a more constructive Opposition as this was inevitably seen as a sign of collusion aimed at securing personal protection. Finding a leader The rebels still lack one im- portant ingredient in their strategy – 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. Surely they can't lump this re- sponsibility on the President of the Republic. If they really want to go that way they have to present a name. But this may raise more questions: will the chosen one also be their candi- date to challenge Delia in par- ty structures or will he or she serve as a temporary figure- head until the issue is resolved within the party? Moreover, with the party fac- ing defeat in the next election, which may come sooner than 2022, leadership aspirants may be reluctant to drink from the poisoned chalice left by Delia. A civil war fought in an echo chamber Reflected in the rebels' ur- gency and sense of purpose is the illusion that the process of electing a new leader will mag- ically restore enthusiasm in the party. In reality many middle- of-the-road voters may well have disconnected themselves from the PN's eternal and re- petitive backstabbing. Many of these voters are equally sceptical of Delia and his de- tractors, perceiving this as a battle between an entitled elite and an incompetent and du- bious leader. For these voters, what is happening in the PN increasingly looks like a civil war fought in two distant echo chambers. With the party lacking excit- ing policies and unable to de- fine its own identity, such vot- ers may further lean towards Labour especially if Abela manages to give an impression that he is acting on corruption while guaranteeing stability and economic prosperity. Others may be further driv- en into civil society activism, which may yield more returns in terms of victories on impor- tant issues like the environ- ment and civil liberties. Ironically while it was Labour which was hit by the greatest scandal in recent history – the political murder of a journalist coupled by the ramifications of the Panama scandal – it is the PN which is now broken into pieces. It may take much more than a leadership change for the party to pick up the pieces and rebuild itself. paradox: chaos? Many middle-of-the- road voters may well have disconnected themselves from the PN's eternal and repetitive backstabbing. Many of these voters are equally sceptical of Delia and his detractors We're out... former PN secretary-general Clyde Puli (left) and former General Council president Kristy Debono (right) head of PN media Pierre Portelli steps down, claiming he is being attacked by MPs. Busuttil refuses to leave on Egrant – July 2018 • Delia rides on the Egrant report to force Busuttil to leave as MP but he is instantly rebuffed. Marital separation – October 2018 • Nickie Vella de Fremaux, Delia's wife and mother of five children who appeared by his side during his leadership campaign, files for separation. Police probe into Delia's financial dealings – December 2018 • Investigations into Delia's past corporate dealings are confirmed. Delia leaks – December 2018 Embarrassing mobile phone footage of a domestic incident at Delia's home is leaked. MEPs fiasco (election loss) – May 2019 • Delia is forced to secure a confidence vote after the resignation of executive president Mark Anthony Sammut. DCG family rebuff at Great Siege Monument – October 2019 • As he makes his way to pay tribute at the Caruana Galizia memorial, one of the journalist's sisters attempts to stop him from placing flowers.