PN Secretary General Francis Zammit Dimech has referred the party’s youth arm – the MZPN – to the disciplinary commission after it issued an unauthorised statement and video and later refused to retract them.
A statement by the MZPN on Monday called for change for the Nationalist Party and highlighted that the Party needs and deserves to have direction. "We can do all this with our choice. Let us be the ones to bring about the changes we need in the leadership of the Nationalist Party."
This newsroom has been told that not all MZPN members were aware of the fact that the statement would be issued, and some of them did not agree with its contents.
Some of its members publicly criticised the move. Jeremy Cardona, Gabriel Micallef and Jean Carl Agius Ciscaldi said the statement should never have been published because the PN's Secretary General Francis Zammit Dimech had issued an order for all party branches and committees not to make any public statements while the party navigates the current situation. They said internal issues should not be exposed on social media.
In a statement, Zammit Dimech said he had issued a directive to all party organs and sectional committees to only discuss party issues internally. This directive was also issued to the MZPN.
Zammit Dimech said he spoke to the youth section after it published the statement and video and asked them to retract everything, but this did not happen.
“In light of these circumstances, and because the section breached the directives and instructions given to it, I will have to refer this case to the Ethics, Dicsiplne and Social Media Commission for its consideration,” he said.
The commission is widely expected to recommend disciplinary action against the group of ‘rebel’ MPs who are trying to oust Adrian Delia from the role of Opposition Leader. Any form of sanctioning, however, would have to be approved by the PN’s executive committee, where Delia lost his second confidence vote last week.
Another Executive Committee meeting is set to take place on Thursday.