The PN’s rebel MPs walked out of a parliamentary group meeting a few minutes after it started after Adrian Delia refused to discuss the confidence votes he lost over the past two weeks.

The meeting was convened by Adrian Delia after Tuesday night’s dramatic developments, where Daphne murder middleman Melvin Theuma tried to take his own life.

But, speaking to journalists on her way in, Therese Comodini Cachia said she and her colleagues were only willing to discuss one issue: the confidence votes.

“In view of what happened overnight, it is clear that the country needs a credible opposition. The only subject my colleagues and I are willing to discuss during this meeting is how the party leader needs to respect the two votes of confidence he lost. This is the only issue we are willing to discuss today. And we are willing to discuss this issue only because it is clear that hat the PN needs to be a strong, stable and credible opposition, If we don’t manage that, surely we will not be able to fight this web of corruption that has taken over this country under a Labour government.”

She walked out a few minutes later, saying that the MPs had asked Delia to discuss what the next steps should be after the confidence votes, “but he said he was not willing to discuss this and said this would be discussed during Thursday’s meeting of the executive committee.”

“Since he is not respecting the parliamentary group, we cannot go on with other discussions.”

Earlier, Deputy Leader Robert Arrigo said the group would discuss the situation where the Prime Minister did not give any comments after Tuesday's developments. Asked about Comodini Cachia's earlier comments, Arrigo said everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

He said he would have no problem discussing the confidence votes, noting that there was no set agenda for the meeting.

Asked for a reaction after the meeting, he said the MPs had a right to walk out but he was disappointed “because we should not be like this.”

“Now more than ever, we should be united. We need to reassure people that we can discuss and act for the good of the country,” he said.

He confirmed that the group did not even manage to discuss, let along come to an agreement.  

Arrigo said Delia did not refuse to discuss the confidence votes but had told MPs that the issue would be discussed on Thursday. The executive the forum where that subject should be discussed today, adding that today’s meeting was ‘extra’ and brought about by special circumstances.

The PN’s other deputy leader, David Agius, insisted that whatever is discussed in the parliamentary group is confidential.