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7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 12 FEBRUARY 2020 NEWS ANALYSIS members. But the resignation of key Delia allies including secretary general Clyde Puli, Kristy Debono from the post of President of the General Council and deputy leader Rob- ert Arrigo may open an opportunity for the rebels to strengthen their hold in their party. While Delia may decide to stay on irrespec- tive of the results of these contests, his pow- er could be seriously dented, with the party machine being taken over by his opponents. The danger of this is that it risks prolonging the agony and dispelling the prospect of any recovery in the polls. It could leave the party in a state of permanent confusion. Votes for these positions may well be in- terpreted as confidence votes in Delia. The choice of Arrigo's successor by party mem- bers will provide the greatest test for both Delia and the rebels. For if the post is con- tested by both factions, the result may well be interpreted as a referendum on Delia's leadership among members. If Delia loses this contest, he risks losing the only source of legitimacy he has left: the deci- sion by party members to elect him in 2017. On the other hand if a loyalist wins, De- lia may well consider this vote as a one of no confidence in the parliamentary rump, which had tried to unseat him. 3. Convene General Council again to discuss no confidence motion The General Council has no power to re- move a leader elected by party members. But the rebels may once again try to con- vene the General Council to discuss a mo- tion on his leadership. Back in July Delia had accepted to have such a motion discussed and ended up winning the support of 67% of councillors. The vote only served to rein- force Delia's legitimacy as party leader. But he may still deem any such motion inadmissible insisting that the only body which can remove him is the party's con- vention composed of party members. Ac- cording to the party's statute only the party leader has the power to convene the party's convention. Delia may well take this risk to quash re- bellion and proceed with his "revolution"by seeking confirmation from rank and file members. 4. Accept a truce and wait for the next favourable moment to strike Faced by Delia's stubborn refusal to step down and the prospect of further sinking the party's prospects, some of the rebels may back down. Still this prospect is unlikely simply because the rebels have now crossed the Rubicon and backtracking would leave them exposed to the wrath of emboldened Delia loyalists. The risk is that Delia may be wary of any truce, which leaves rebels in a position to plot their next move at some other more favourable juncture. On their part rebels may also fear being side-lined before the next election and this may strengthen their resolve to bring closure to the rebel- lion. 5. Formalise the split None of the contending par- ties want to be held responsi- ble for a split in the Nationalist Party but their actions may still make one inev- itable. Both sides know that any split will pave the way for an even stronger PL majority in parliament, possibly a two-thirds major- ity simply because a split oppo- sition vote may result in less MPs being elected. But if the rebels feel they have noth- ing more to lose, they may well be ready to take the risk. On his part a delusional Delia may see this as an opportunity to finally implement his vision of the party unshackled by constant dissent. Even if a split does take place, it won't solve the party's deeper identity prob- lems. For while the rebels may unite against Delia, it remains to be seen whether they have a coherent narrative, which can unite social liberals and con- servatives in one political home. One advantage for the rebels would be that of starting anew while leaving the debts to Delia's rump Nationalist Party, which may end up inheriting most of the party's problems while los- ing most of the party's MPs, front bench and talent. rebels have? A post shared on Facebook identified 17 Blue Heroes', although Stephen Spiteri later distanced himself from any form of coup