Labour delegates' list available to election candidates, MLP says

The Labour Party yesterday reacted to the leakage of information about its delegates to a Sunday newspaper, saying updated delegates lists had been given to all candidates for posts within its structures.

This, it said, had always been the practice.

Lists were given, on request, to those seeking posts in the party administration and national executive, as well as general election candidates.

Any speculation about this case was only aimed at harming the party, the MLP said.

Meanwhile, leadership candidate Evarist Bartolo said yesterday the leaking of the list of delegates to a newspaper had "poisoned" the process for the leadership election.

Candidates Marie-Louise Coleiro-Preca, Michael Falzon and Joseph Muscat also condemned the leakage.

Dr Muscat said in a letter to the MLP electoral commission that he backed Ms Coleiro-Preca's call for the commission to investigate what had happened. He said the leakage of such information was unacceptable and the newspaper survey of delegates' voting intentions had put undue pressure on the delegates and hindered all the candidates.

The survey had found Dr Muscat strongly ahead in the leadership race.