VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Nationalist Party has a new leader after Alex Borg edged out Adrian Delia by just 44 votes in a dramatic contest that went down to the wire.
Borg, 30, secured 8,905 votes against Delia’s 8,861, a margin of barely half a percentage point. Out of 17,862 valid ballots, Borg obtained 50.1% to Delia’s 49.9%, making this one of the closest leadership races in the party’s 144-year history.
The result was confirmed at 4am after a marathon nine-hour count, following an anxious five-hour wait. Borg initially announced his victory on Facebook, thanking his supporters “for starting this new chapter for the Nationalist Party.”
The contest was triggered by Bernard Grech’s resignation in June. Grech had himself replaced Delia five years ago. Hopes within the party that European Parliament president Roberta Metsola might contest were dashed when she chose to remain in Brussels, leaving the field open for Delia to attempt a comeback and for Borg, his protégé, to step forward.
In his first remarks as leader, Borg accused Prime Minister Robert Abela of being willing to destabilise the country for personal gain amid rumours of an early election. He pledged, however, that the PN would be ready for the challenge whenever it comes.
International reactions swiftly followed. European People’s Party president Manfred Weber congratulated Borg, promising full support from the EPP and wishing him success as Malta’s new Opposition leader.
Borg’s razor-thin victory marks the beginning of a new chapter for the PN, but also sets the stage for a leadership that will have to unite a deeply divided party.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
