MLP has not authorised carcades for party activities

The Labour Party said it has not authorised anyone to organise promo trucks, floats or carcades when party activities are underway.

MLP general secretary Jimmy Magro formally informed Police Commissioner John Rizzo about the party's decision and that it was making public advertisements about the matter.

Various exponents of the party were conveying this message on the broadcasting media, Mr Magro said.

Contacted about the situation, Nationalist Party general secretary Joe Saliba said the PN was also against carcades and had never organised or promoted any.

Mr Saliba said the PN was happy to see that even the MLP disagreed with such carcades.

However, it was a pity that the MLP directive came nearly at the end of the campaign and after last Sunday's incident when a girl who was going to a PN meeting was injured when she was hit by a bottle thrown by someone in a Labour carcade.

He admitted that, although the PN did not promote such activities, young people organised carcades to go to political activities.

In his letter, Mr Magro referred to a meeting the MLP administration held with Mr Rizzo to emphasise the MLP's insistence on the maintenance of order at all stages of the general election and even after the announcement of the electoral result.

"I understand that it would be useful if these initiatives were to find the approval of all the political parties," Mr Magro said as he invited the police commissioner to take measures so that the other political parties would adopt the same directives in order to maintain calm in the country.

The Labour Party leadership on Wednesday met Mr Rizzo and told him the police should do their utmost to ensure that calm and security prevailed during the final phase of the electoral campaign, on election day, during the counting of votes and on the announcement of the election result.

Party leader Alfred Sant told reporters after the meeting that Labour would back the police in the steps it takes against anyone who disrupts public order or threatens security.