Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1270964
PHOTO BY JAMES BIANCHI 8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 JULY 2020 INTERVIEW You were nominated by a ma- jority of Nationalist MPs to be Opposition leader, something that did not happen because of the President's interpretation of the Constitution. How shall I describe you: a rebel leader, Adrian Delia's rival, a person uncomfortable in the PN? None of these labels. I was chosen by a majority of my col- leagues, and today, even col- leagues who were not part of the majority, recognise my position as someone who has been asked to lead and guide my colleagues as a party in Opposition. But this position brings with it other re- sponsibilities to give guidance to anyone who seeks it; councillors, party members and whoever ask for advice… This is a situation like we've never experienced. But Adrian Delia is still Opposi- tion leader and is still leader of the party. You cannot fault peo- ple for being confused about the situation. The PN is like a ship with two captains. We cannot fault people for be- ing confused… this is an unprec- edented situation. When one loses a vote of confidence in the parliamentary group and the ex- ecutive, you expect the person to take decisions in the best inter- est of the party and the country. But the feedback I am receiving is that… I am serving as a guid- ing light in this difficult time and which is not yet over. This is a time for healing; it is a time for reflection; it is a time to under- stand where one wishes Malta to be and what role the PN should play. It is time to reposition and redirect the PN. It is a time when everyone of us – the parliamenta- ry group, the executive, the coun- cillors and members – should think about what they want from this party. I believe every one of us wants to see a united party; a party that rekindles enthusiasm in people; a party that inspires people again and wins over their trust. That is where we are head- ing to. It is a difficult time but we cannot reposition… without passing through a difficult period that forces you to think on what is the best way forward. But despite losing confidence votes in the parliamentary group and the executive, Adrian Delia has so far insisted he is PN leader and Opposition leader. Statutorily, there appears lit- tle else you can do unless Delia decides to step down of his own accord, or call a general council, or open up a leadership race. It appears there is a statutory dead end in the party. Where will your action lead to? What is the end game? We started going down the road to see change happening in the PN. As I understand it, the change must lead to a unit- ed party, which it wasn't during the past three years… it must be a stronger party that regenerates and repositions itself, a party that rekindles the hope to the point that people can trust it. We are at the start of this road. It is not an easy road but I trust in our coun- cillors and tesserati. These peo- ple never short-changed the par- ty and Malta, they always made the right choice, which they be- lieved in wholeheartedly. We are talking of people, who gave their life for the party. These people are very hurt… But the tesserati elected Adrian Delia in the first exercise of its kind. Aren't your actions go- ing against the will of the party members? Our action does not go against the will of the party members. We are not imposing any deci- sion on the party members and the councillors. We are prepar- ing the road so that the coun- cillors and members reach their own decision. None of the mem- bers and councillors voted for a leader to fail in his mission. All of us choose the leader, whom we believe can strengthen the party, unite it and strengthen people's trust in the party. Members and councillors, like us, see that the party under Adrian Delia's lead- ership has not managed to grow strong. Is it his fault? Obviously, it is not just his fault. During the past three years, I saw Adrian Delia work hard and I am certain he gave all he could. Was he giv- en bad advice? Maybe, because when you want to lead a party you do not create division… But one of the reasons could also be those same MPs who support you, maybe yourself in- cluded, who put a spanner in the works and did not allow Adrian Delia to function by dissenting on parliamentary votes, publicly criticising him. I cannot agree with you when you suggest that part of the blame lies with the 19 members of the parliamentary group who voted against Adrian Delia… No party is there to lose people and lose votes. Throughout the past three years, every colleague of mine in the parliamentary group, and not just the 19, worked hard. Whenever Adrian Delia asked us for advice, we gave it. Whenev- er he asked us to perform some duty, we did so. Whenever he asked for guidance, we gave it… I can speak for myself, whenever I helped Adrian Delia, like I did with his predecessors… I always promised to be honest with him. I do not go to speak to the lead- er and tell him something I do not believe in. Every time Adrian Delia asked for my thoughts, I always told him what I believed. This is what we as MPs did and this is why we took the first step and called for a confidence vote… none of us have bad intentions towards Adrian Delia. This is not a choice between Adrian Delia and Therese, this is a question of whether we want the PN to reach its goal and regenerate itself and strengthen. On Xtra Sajf, Edwin Vassallo ar- gued that if the PN ignored its internal rules, ignored its own members who democratically elected Delia, it would be send- ing out a contradictory message to the rule of law rallying call it has been clamouring about for the past seven years. How do you answer to this accusation? Edwin has all my respect. I have worked with him and will contin- ue to do so… but we do not go out there and speak on the 'rule by law'. We speak on the rule of law. Rule of law does not on- ly include the written rules but also the principles and values that bind those subject to them. Democratic principles built on the rule of law, and not on the rule by law, demand that a leader who loses two votes in the par- ty's highest organs will take the cue and do the right thing… in the best interest of the party he is working for and which he defi- nitely loves. What is the right thing you ex- pect Adrian Delia to do? If I had the first inkling of a vote of no confidence, I would go to the parliamentary group, the party organs, and tell them that I have managed to arrive so far, the party is not doing well in the sur- veys, the party is losing people, the party needs to create enthu- siasm in people and I am not able to do so, and I wish the party to take a decision on who can best lead it forward… but this is what I would have done because I be- lieve in the rule of law. Nationalist MP Therese Comodini Cachia was chosen by her colleagues to be Opposition leader but with Adrian Delia refusing to step aside, she tells Kurt Sansone that her role is that of guidance councillor seeking unity in a fragmented party The PN's guidance councillor-in-chief Kurt Sansone ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt