Adrian Delia could be co-opted to Parliament and become Opposition Leader on Wednesday, if all goes well in tomorrow's casual election and if there is agreement between the two sides.
The issue was discussed during a meeting of the House Business Committee, held this afternoon.
Delia was elected PN leader in mid-September but Simon Busuttil is still Opposition Leader since the former is not an MP. There was a very uncertain situation until Jean Pierre Debono last week said he would be resigning his seat to make way for Delia. His resignation triggered a casual election process. The casual election will be held tomorrow.
There are seven candidates – six from the Nationalist Party and one Partit Demokratiku candidate. All PN candidates on the 7th district had pledged to give up their seat for Delia, should they be elected. The PD, which refuses to endorse Delia, has said its candidates will also contest, even if it knows that there is no chance of blocking Delia from making it to Parliament. The second candidate on the 7th (apart from Godfrey Farrugia, who was elected) did not submit her nomination.
PN Whip David Agius this afternoon told the committee that the intention is for the newly elected MP to make a speech in Parliament tomorrow evening and resign shortly afterwards, so that Delia's cooption may then take place.
"We understand that the PM might move a motion to that effect on Wednesday," he said.
Speaker Anglu Farrugia said that if he receives the official (casual election) result from the Electoral Commission tomorrow, Delia may be sworn in on Wednesday. He warned, however, that for the cooption to happen on Wednesday there has to be an agreement to forego the procedural three-day notice period before a motion can come into effect.
Deputy PM Chris Fearne said things should be taken one step at a time.
from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/2hGt6a7
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