PN Leader Adrian Delia addressed the general council after winning a two-thirds majority in a vote of confidence, and his message was one of unity.
He said that from this point on, the party must work together, as if the PN does so then it can succeed.
In a speech aimed at trying to unify the divisions within the party, he invited those who voted against him to take part in the party reforms, and be active voices from within the party.
He thanked the councillors who agreed that he should continue leading the PN. He thanked all the councillors who participated in this democratic process, mentioning the there was a 92% participation rate.
“This shows that the PN is alive, is active and is there more than ever before.”
He said that he will give attention to the councillors who did not feel comfortable voting yes, and said that he will do his utmost to not have a minority or majority in the party, but one whole party where everyone feels included, and are content to be within a party that will be reborn anew.
He said the vote humbled him. He said that the interest, the love of the councillors shows that the party will come out of the difficulty and embark on its mission immediately. “I believe that those who voted yes do not only believe I should lead, but that I should make stronger strides for the party to strengthen for the good of the country. I want to assure you that I do not intend to interpret this vote as a signal that there is nothing that needs arranging or improving. To the contrary, I know you expect a lot of work from me to reform the party and I assure you that I will do this with all my strength, more so than before, through strong decisions. I want to assure those who voted No that I respect their understanding. “In your ‘no’ I see a clear message, that you want a strong and credible party. I invite you all, to come one by one… have an active say in the party from the inside and not from the outside. Be at the forefront of the reform process.”
He spoke of the need for the party to change.
Delia said that he is convinced that his leadership can give the PN back to the people, and that the people can again give the party the credibility and responsibility it deserves.
“From today, from now, we must work together as if we work together we can succeed. I am determined, convinced that we will give the PN back to the people and the people can again give this party the credibility it deserves, and the responsibility it deserves. That is my pledge. I will change what is needed but I will not do it alone. Be the change with me, be a part of the change. Let us give the country a renewed PN.”
In comments to the media after his official speech, Delia spoke about the reform that is planned for the party which next year will be celebrating its 140th anniversary. “I would like the party to be 140 years young, not 140 years old,” he said, and this means that the party must undergo administrative, stuctural and financial changes. Added to this the party must also change its mentality to reflect the needs of today’s society and not remain closed to ideas of the past.
What happened today supercedes what happened in the past, he said, adding that the past weeks were a positive experience and gave him determination and courage to move forward.
He said his work will continue to persuade all those who voted against him today. “If needs be, I will do so one by one,” he said. The PN is a mosaic of ideas but based on the same values, he said.
PN Secretary General Clyde Puli said that the result is a strong one, as it is a higher percentage than Delia had received when he was elected as leader back in 2017. This meant that Delia kept on improving after a year of his leadership, he said.
Photo and video by Michael Camilleri
