Updated 0951 – Bartolo to make way for Bernard Grech
Nationalist MP Ivan J Bartolo has confirmed that he will vacate his seat to enable Bernard Grech to become a Member of Parliament and Leader of the Opposition.
On Facebook, he said that “with thousands of party members, and an even greater number of Maltese citizens, I hope that this little step will be the beginning of a renewal process both of our party as well as of our way of doing politics.”
Updated 0915 – Newspaper Review
Malta Today leads with the election results of the PN leadership contest, won by Bernard Grech with 69 percent of the votes. In his address to the party’s general convention, Grech said his first job is to gain the trust of those who did not vote for him.
Il-Mument quotes newly-elected PN Leader Bernard Grech who appealed to party members to unite, renew, and strengthen in order to make the party successful again. Grech was confirmed leader at the General Convention on Saturday.
The Sunday Times says that more than 18,000 PN paid-up members voted in the leadership election held over the past week, around 4,000 more than in the 2017 election. Challenger Bernard Grech won two-thirds of the votes.
Illum reports that Bernard Grech obtained around 18,400 votes by the paid-up members to become the ninth leader of the Nationalist Party. Grech said this was the first step to renew the party into an alternative government.
The Independent on Sunday says that outgoing PN leader Adrian Delia pledged loyalty to the party after paid-up members elected Bernard Grech to succeed him. Delia called his challenger after the unofficial results to concede.
It-Torċa says that 15 percent of the 21,000 PN members did not vote in the leadership election which closed on Saturday. The paper says this represents a 30 percent increase from the 2017 election.
Kullħadd says that new PN Leader Bernard Grech is expected to be appointed Leader of the Opposition in the coming days. In his reaction on Facebook, outgoing leader Adrian Delia said he will continue to work for a united party.
The Sunday Times reports that US defence secretary Mark Esper has rejected a watered-down SOFA deal proposed by Malta. Government and US sources both said that the government’s proposals did not meet American expectations.
The Independent on Sunday speaks to representatives of health professionals ahead of the 2021 budget who said that hospital infrastructure is in urgent need of upgrading. The Midwives and Nurses Union president said that there has been little capital investment in the last years.
Malta Today reports that a company with no previous experience in the medical sector was awarded a direct order of more than €2 million by the government to supply ventilators. Zookeeper Anton Cutajar is a major shareholder in the company.
Illum publishes an interview with the CEO of the Gozo Tourism Association, Hoe Muscat, who warned of a difficult winter ahead and said that the sustainability of the tourism industry depends on government support.
Kullħadd reports on restoration works on the Grand Harbour breakwater, both on the 370-metre stretch jutting out of Valletta and the shorter part in Kalkara. The paper says the renovation is part of a wider project to upgrade maritime facilities in the harbour.
It-Torċa says more than a hundred families are at a greater risk of poverty because of the pandemic. The paper carries an interview with a father of two who lost his part-time job and is struggling to keep up with expenses.
Morning Briefing
Dr Bernard Grech is new PN Leader
Dr Bernard Grech has been elected the new leader of the Nationalist Party. According to official results published by the Party, Grech secured the vote of 12,663 paid-up members (69.35%). Incumbent Adrian Delia garnered 5.622 votes (30.7%). 77 votes were invalid.
In his first comments, Dr Grech thanked all those who formed part of his team and those who will be joining him to make the PN a force to reckon with, in the interests of the country. “This is not the end of the road but a starting point,” he said later in his acceptance speech at the Party’s headquarters in Pieta.
In a concession speech, During the press conference, Adrian Delia said that he will remain loyal towards the PN and he will show his loyalty towards his leader. Delia stated that he will remain within the PN to make sure that the PN remains the people’s party. “I will make sure that all that I have experienced during the past 3 years will not be faced by the new leader.”
On Facebook, Grech said he was certain Delia would “continue to play his part to the benefit of the party from now on forward”.
The Labour Party in a statement said that this result was a victory for the establishment, to which Grech replied that he does not take any advice from the PL. “What I tell them is that today the PN is stronger. I do not have all solutions, but I will listen to everyone and then decide,” he said.
Covid-19 Update
A 70-year old man on Saturday became the latest coronavirus patient to lose his life in Malta. Health authorities reported that man tested positive for the virus on Tuesday and was hospitalised that same day. He had underlying health conditions.
65 positive cases of Covid-19 were identified during the previous 24 hours while another 43 recovered. After a week of decreases, this means that active cases have gone up again, to 455.
CDE News
