The Prime Minister in a statement has clarified comments he made on television this morning about the date of the general election and local council elections.

Speaking on TVAM this morning, Dr Gonzi had said that Labour leader Joseph Muscat had wanted the general election to be held in February, but he (Dr Gonzi) disagreed and insisted that the general election should be held together with the elections for local councils on March 9. Dr Gonzi said the local council elections could not be brought forward, and holding them separately would have cost the country an extra €1 million.

However, this afternoon, the Office of the Prime Minister  said the prime minister was clarifying that the Local Councils Act provided that local council elections may be brought forward or postponed.

Reacting to claims by Joseph Muscat that the prime minister had chosen the latest date possible, the OPM  said that the general election could still have been held later than March 9.

March 9 was chosen in the national interest to coincide with the date when the local council elections were due.

It also clarified that the local council elections cost €1.8m. 

In his reaction after Dr Gonzi's initial comment, Dr Muscat had denied that the general election and the council elections could not be held earlier than March 9.

He insisted that the law allowed the date of local council elections to be moved forward or put off by four months and there had therefore been no reason for Dr Gonzi to put off the general election to the last possible moment, a decision which was detrimental to the country because it prolonged uncertainty.

Dr Gonzi's comments, he said, further undermined his credibility.

Since the only reason given by Dr Gonzi for holding the general elections on March 9 was the local council elections, Dr Muscat said he was challenging Dr Gonzi to move the date forward. 

The prime minister had 'lied' and the PL would react to any such lies, he added.