Embattled PN Leader Adrian Delia is set to face a vote of confidence within the General Council as a petition has garnered the required number of signatures.

By Sunday afternoon, the petition had exceeded the 150 signatures needed to spark off the secret vote, sources said.

The petition calls on PN General Council President Kristy Debono to hold a general council in which a secret ballot would take place on whether Delia should "shoulder political responsibility and resign".

It states that last month's EP and local council elections bore the PN the worst result since Independence, placing the future of the party at risk. "These were results that it did not merit and do no honour to the PN, and for that the political responsibility has to be shouldered," the letter states. 

Delia has been facing calls to resign since the result of the last round of elections, which saw Labour win with a majority of over 40,000 votes. The PN leader has remained steadfast and refused to resign or call a vote of confidence. He addressed a number of executive committee and parliamentary group meetings, presenting a 10-point programme during his last meeting with MPs.

But, according to sources, the MPs were not impressed, with some telling The Malta Independent that there was still a "sense of distrust" within the group.

The PN leadership has been marred with the recent resignation of media chief Pierre Portelli, and earlier by the resignation of Mark Anthony Sammut from the role of president of the executive committee.