Adrian Delia and Alex Borg barred from debating each other

PN leadership hopefuls Adrian Delia and Alex Borg have been barred from debating one another. 

The Nationalist Party released a set of guidelines for the leadership campaign, as the party clarified that the official electoral campaign begins once the internal due diligence process on both candidates concludes. 

This process, which began shortly after the expression of interest to contest closed, lasts up to a maximum of six weeks.

Before the official campaign begins, prospective candidates are not allowed to participate in any debates against one another, while interviews with independent media are allowed if they are approved by the PN’s electoral commission. Interviews on party-owned media is prohibited, with the PN’s media arm exempted from this rule.

The purpose of these interviews should be to inform the public about the individual prospective candidate and their vision for the PN's future. It is also stated that neither the candidates nor the interviewer should make any reference to the other candidate during these interviews.

Furthermore, media houses must give both candidates equal opportunities for coverage.

The duration of interviews must also be equal for both candidates, and where possible, broadcasts should occur consecutively on the same day. If same-day broadcasting is not possible, the interviews must be aired at the next available opportunity for that specific programme.

Once the due diligence period ends, the candidates cannot give interviews to non-PN media.

The party also made it clear that candidates will be held directly responsible for the conduct of their canvassers.