All casual-election Nationalist MPs say they will not give up their seat for the new party leader

Three out of the four Nationalist Party leadership contenders do not have a seat in parliament. This means they will not be able to take up the Constitutional role of Leader of the Opposition. If a member of parliament who was elected outright gives up his or her seat in the new leader’s favour, it will automatically trigger a casual election between the other Nationalist Party candidates who, however, have to reconfirm their interest.

So the new leader, if he doesn’t have a seat in parliament, will have to persuade or reach agreement with a member of parliament who was not elected outright but who got his or her seat through a casual election. The resignation of a member of parliament who got the seat through a casual election does not trigger any further election. An individual can be co-opted directly into the vacated seat. You can read more background information here.

There are only five MPs who acquired their seat through a casual election on the Nationalist Party ticket. This website rang four of them and asked them point-blank whether they will give up their seat to the new Nationalist Party leader, should he not have one (Frank Portelli, Alex Perici Calascione, Adrian Delia). Their answers are below.

The fifth, Godfrey Farrugia, has since claimed his seat for the Democratic Party, so ringing him would be pointless.

Ivan Bartolo (seat ceded by Simon Busuttil in the 11th District): “No, definitely not. I have just put up a post on Facebook saying exactly that.”

David Stellini (seat ceded by Marthese Portelli on the 13th District): “No. No, I won’t. I have relocated from Brussels to Malta to take up my seat in parliament. I am honoured to have been elected and very happy to represent my constituents in parliament.”

Karol Aquilina (seat ceded by Robert Arrigo on the 10th District): “That’s a simple and unequivocal ‘no’.”

Maria Deguara (seat ceded by David Agius on the 11th District): “No, I hardly think so. I don’t think so. I was elected by my constituents and I am here to represent them.

Godfrey Farrugia (seat ceded by Beppe Fenech Adami on the 7th District): Though Dr Farrugia was elected on the Nationalist Party ticket and the seat – as confirmed by a ruling in the Courts of Justice – pertains to the Nationalist Party, Dr Farrugia has since claimed it for the Democratic Party. It therefore follows that he will not give it up to allow a new Nationalist Party leader to take his place in parliament.