Update 7 : In another twist in the ongoing Nationalist Party saga, party treasurer David Camilleri has also resigned.
Camilleri was named as having allegedly not had the right to vote in last Saturday’s election to co-opt an MP instead of David Stellini. (Malta Independent)
Update 6: Jean Pierre Debono has renounced to being co-opted to Parliament in spite of winning a vote taken by the Nationalist Party executive committee last Saturday.
In a letter he sent to the party leader, Debono said it is clear that the same people who did not acvcept the democratic election of Delia as party leader are now on a campaign to “attack me” because “I had given up my parliamentary seat for you (Delia) to be appointed Opposition Leader.” Via NET News
Update 5: The Nationalist Party, through its media announced that Jean Pierre Debono will not accept the Parliamentary seat that was assigned to him in a democratic process within the structures of the PN.
Meanwhile Adrian Delia is disputing accusations that Jean Pierre Debono manipulated the list of eligible voters for Saturday’s executive meeting that decided who will take David Stellini’s parliamentary seat.
Update 4: Two Gozitan voters this morning filed a legal notice saying they will consider a civil lawsuit if the Nationalist Party does not cancel the vote taken by the party executive committee to co-opt Jean Pierre Debono to Parliament and order another vote.
In a judicial protest, Mariella Mercieca and Daniel Cilia argued that the PN had violated electoral law, the spirit of the Constitution and its own party statute in the way the vote was taken on Saturday. (The Malta Independent)
Update 3: The situation within the Nationalist Party is “untenable” and political responsibility must be shouldered, the PN’s own youth movement said on Monday morning, amid major turmoil in the wake of elections.
“The current situation is untenable, and represents a new low. Enough is enough, and we demand that political responsibility be shouldered – at least out of respect for the thousands of voters and volunteers who gave their time, faith and effort – by those involved in the mess emanating from last Saturday’s vote in the Executive Committee,” the MŻPN said in a Facebook post. (The Times)
Update 2: Newsbook quotes informed sources telling its newsroom that the leadership of the Nationalist party has contacted the office of the Speaker to request the postponement of the motion which would co-opt Jean Pierre Debono into the vacated parliamentary seat formerly of David Stellini. Newsbook is informed that the office of the Speaker asked for this request to be made in writing. The story is also reported by the Times.
Meanwhile Newsbook.com.mt is informed that a meeting is currently underway at the Dar Centrali. According to sources, the meeting is very heated and PN officials are strongly calling for Jean Pierre Debono to give up his seat in favour of Kevin Cutajar. Debono is resisting with his life.
On Facebook Jean-Pierre Debono said that Mark Anthony Sammut, knows the truth and he’s resorting to lie, when he says that Debono compiled the list of those who were to vote. MP Jason Azzopardi posted an image showing the list of those entitled the vote, and the file properties indicating the author of the list being Debono.
Update 1: Labour Party media are reporting exclusively that Debono is to give up the seat following irregularities’ claims.
Earlier, the former president of the PN’s executive committee, Mark Anthony Sammut, has cried foul at the voting procedure that took place on Saturday to co-opt Jean-Pierre Debono to the House of Representatives.
Mark Anthony Sammut accused Jean Pierre Debono of adding two names to eligible voters in PN executive that voted for him to be co-opted to the House.
MaltaToday reports that “Sammut, who resigned the same day by way of taking political responsibility for the disastrous result suffered by the PN in the European and local council elections, said neither David Stellini – the Gozo MP who vacated his parliament seat earlier in the week – nor treasurer David Camilleri were entitled to vote for the co-option.”
Indeed, the PN executive meeting, which includes a selection of Nationalist MPs, voted by 42 votes to 40 to co-opt Debono, the chief political advisor of Opposition leader Adrian Delia, instead of Gozo councillor Kevin Cutajar.
Newsbook quotes Sammut saying “the vote was not only stolen from the Gozitans but also fraudulently stolen”.
Sammut wrote this on a Facebook post at around 21:00h on Sunday.
Newsbook reports how earlier the Gozo Regional PN Committee has written a strongly worded letter to the PN Leader Adrian Delia and the party administration, contesting the validity of the co-option of Jean Pierre Debono to the parliamentary seat vacated by Gozitan David Stellini. The letter is part of a wave of indignation voiced in various quarters but most vociferously in Gozo, at this co-option which sidelined Gozo candidate Kevin Cutajar.
In a letter to the party leader, secretary general and deputy leaders, seen by the Malta Independent, the committee says the decision to co-opt Debono should be declared null also because it is in breach of the electoral law.
Developing Story
