The PN's 'rebel' MPs have issued a statement, saying they have complete trust in the Constitutional Mechanism which they say will result in Therese Comodini Cachia becoming the new Opposition Leader.

The majority of PN MPs went to the President of Malta and informed him that Opposition Leader Adrian Delia no longer holds their trust.

President Vella on Saturday informed the 'rebel' MPs that they have the required numbers to trigger Delia's removal, but said he has been given legal advice to the effect that he would then have to immediately re-appoint Delia as Opposition Leader. This contrasts with the advice given to the MPs by constitutional experts Giovanni Bonello, Kevin Aquilina and Austin Bencini. The issue lies with the paragraph, in the Constitution, regulating the appointment of an Opposition Leader. This part of the law states that the Opposition Leader shall be the leader of the biggest political party in the opposition.

The MPs, in a statement on Sunday said that over the past days thousands of people expressed their hope that the PN could be led by someone who "truly represents the principles and values that the PN led the country with over the years.

"The 19 PN MPs are seeing, listening and feeling the concern of the tesserati regarding the situation that the PN is going through. The 19 MPs assure that in every decision they took and in every decision they need to take they put the interests of the tesserati, the party and the country at the forefront. They understand that as members of the PN's Parliamentary Group they were elected to Parliament with their vote and by the rest of the nationalist electorate, and that is why they will keep on insisting on strengthening the PN and making it an opposition that is worthy and strong for the country," the statement read.

The MPs spoke of the developments over the past days, and said that they "show how the electorate that always supported is eager for the needed change so that the country will have an Opposition led by a person with integrity, honesty and credibility, who puts the national interest and the interest of the party above his or her personal interests."

The MPs said they have complete trust in the constitutional mechanism that will result in Therese Comodini Cachia being appointed by the President as the Opposition Leader, "as per the unanimous choice of the 19 PN MPs."

The MPs said that they will not give up, and will continue doing their job within the party structures, in Parliament and directly with the electorate so that the country will have a strong opposition.