Former Labour leader and Prime Minister Dom Mintoff today expressed his backing for George Abela’s leadership bid.

Mr Mintoff, 91, made a short speech before an enthusiastic crowd at a public activity held by Dr Abela in Qormi this morning.

Dr Abela greeted Mr Mintoff as “an honoured guest.”

Mr Mintoff spoke on a variety of subjects – even saying his hearing aid was a means for the Police Commissioner to know his whereabouts.

He said he wanted to see Malta to be at least as good as other nations.

He was attending this meeting, he said, not to see whether or not Dr Abela had said the truth about the 1998 MLP executive meeting which proposed that the Labour government hold a snap election.

His purpose, he said, was to see that Dr Abela achieved his aims.

Mr Mintoff complained over corruption in the country and said he did not view the next general election as being five years away. “It is up to us” he said, adding that no one should tolerate the ‘dirt’ Malta was seeing.

He also said he would participate in a meeting to be held in Valletta tomorrow with Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, whom he described as ‘saintly.’

Ten years ago Dr Abela resigned from his position as MLP deputy leader for party affairs after coming out against a proposal for the then Labour government to hold a snap election. Prime Minister Sant had called the election after Mr Mintoff voted against the government on a motion on the Cottonera project which Dr Sant had linked to a confidence vote. He subsequently also voted against the government on other issues, robbing Labour of its one seat parliamentary majority.

Picture: Dom Mintoff at George Abela's meeting this morning. Next to Mr Mintoff is Dr Abela's father.