Opposition Leader Unfazed By WhatsApp Leaks: ‘I Am A Victim, Not A Perpetrator’
Opposition leader Adrian has Delia dismissed concerns that a major leak of his private data through WhatsApp channels has compromised his ability to lead the Nationalist Party.
“It’s not my fault, I think and suppose I’m a victim not a perpetrator if at all,” Delia said in a Times Talk interview. “When I say we’re at war and there may be traitors…those who who think they are doing any good to society, the PN or our country by trying to impute to me anything that is unsubstantiated and not for public consumption, which is not for the public realm to know and benefit, then they’re not helping democracy, they’re not helping the fight against corruption and they’re certainly not assisting to depose a Labour government.”
Delia is facing friction within the Nationalist Party, with several officials warning the PN cannot allow itself to get compromised by his ongoing separation proceedings, in which Delia’s wife Nickie Vella de Fremeaux has accused him of domestic violence.
The PN leader refused to speak about the domestic violence accusations on Times Talk, arguing that doing so would be in breach of a court agreement he had reached with Vella de Fremeaux.
“I’m facing a personal separation and I have agreed with my wife in court to keep this a personal issue,” he said. “People who pass through separations don’t quit their job, abstain from living or give up their lives. They must deal with their problems and keep focusing on their job, which is what I’ve been doing consistently and quietly for the last 13 weeks.”
“A personal separation has got nothing to do with the ability to lead a party or the Opposition. There have been a myriad of cases across the democratic world where people have separated, divorced, annulled, remarried and separated again…it is life! My separation and my job have got nothing to do with each other.”
“Mention one instance where I have failed to do my job, where I haven’t turned up or haven’t been in focus or control. If I’m guilty of this, then I’d start thinking about the interference of my private life in my public life.”
Delia, who in 2017 became the first PN leader elected by its members, warned his internal critics that he still enjoys overwhelming support on the ground.
“I represent the people who elected me,” he said, when asked whether he still enjoys the trust of the majority of his parliamentary group. “This was the first election where a leader was elected by the people, from the people. I represent these people, and I assure you that the overwhelming support I have received from them is not only comforting but convinces me even more that I’m on the right track.”
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