The President of the Republic has been called upon to establish not only who will lead the opposition in parliament but he could very well determine the fate of the Nationalist Party and as a result, the dynamics of the country’s democratic functioning.
Two thirds of opposition leader Adrian Delia’s parliamentary group have told George Vella they no longer have confidence in him to lead them. Interpretations of the constitution by some of the country’s most eminent legal minds have indicated that the president’s next action is straightforward: remove Delia and appoint the person in whom the majority in opposition have confidence, namely Therese Comodini Cachia.
After three days of consultations, which included face-to-face meetings with a large number of those MPs, the country is still on tenterhooks awaiting the president’s verdict.
If Delia somehow remains at the helm, ominous voices are talking of a split in the party. Another scenario is a long-drawn out constitutional case that could cripple the opposition for months to come.
This could all have been avoided had Delia bowed out humbly and gracefully, as any other leader in a Western democracy would have. Instead, he has...