Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia has been sworn in as Opposition Leader this evening by President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.

After the swearing in ceremony, Delia has said that, had he been Prime Minister today, he would take strong and necessary measures to ensure that the illegal hunting of protected birds no longer took place, however, refrained from specifically saying that he would have closed the hunting season.

Delia from The Malta Independent on Vimeo.

He did insist that he did not like blaming the actions of few on the many.

Answering a question by The Malta Independent, after he had been sworn in as Opposition Leader this evening by President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, Delia also acknowledged that there remained serious issues with enforcement on the issue, after another three protected birds were shot, one of which landed in St Edward’s College.

The last time a shot protected bird fell in the same school in April 2015, the Prime Minister had closed the hunting season.

The Opposition Leader also faced questions concerning the recent debate regarding the PN’s motion to amend a legal notice issued last May that provides vacation leave to infertile and homosexual couples to pursue procreative procedures abroad.

He said that the government has agreed with the proposed amendments, stressing that the legal notice infringes on definitions established in the ‘Embryo Protection Act’.

“If we created legislation that protects the embryo, I feel we should respect it."

Delia Hunting from The Malta Independent on Vimeo.

Delia, who arrived almost 45 minutes late to his own swearing-in, thanked his family and his supporters inside and outside of the party structure who helped him along his journey.

A majority of MPs from the PN Parliamentary Group were at the ceremony including outgoing Deputy Leaders Mario de Marco and Beppe Fenech Adami; along with outgoing Secretary General Rosette Thake.

However, noticeably absent from the ceremony was Delia’s predecessor, Simon Busuttil, and his opponent in the leadership race, Chris Said. Jason Azzopardi and Karol Aquilina, who are both outspoken critics of Delia, also did not attend.

Delia question from The Malta Independent on Vimeo.

On Thursday, new PN leader Adrian Delia had been sworn in as a Member of Parliament, taking up the seat vacated the day before by Peter Micallef. Delia became an MP through the co-option process.

 

This triggered a casual election, which was held on Tuesday, and which saw Peter Micallef win Debono’s seat. Five other PN candidates contested the election, as did one PD politician.

 

Delia said that his role as Leader of the Opposition meant that it was his duty to represent the minorities that are not represented in government.

Photos Baskal Mallia