The positions of Labour leader Joseph Muscat and his deputy, Toni Abela, were untenable, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi insisted yesterday.
He said that since they were accomplices in the Safi Labour Party club drug trafficking cover up, if one had to go, the other would have to go too.
“Dr Muscat cannot take action against Dr Abela because they were in this together. If Toni goes, Joseph has to go too,” he said, saying their actions were “scandalous”.
Addressing a Nationalist Party mass meeting in Labour Avenue, Naxxar, Dr Gonzi said it was very serious that the person aspiring to become Malta’s Prime Minister covered up a criminal offence.
“He did not even have the decency to report the matter to the police. He should be ashamed of himself. He cannot aspire to become Prime Minister because we do not want someone who covers up a crime simply because it could embarrass his party.
“Never in Malta’s political history did we ever have someone who would conceal such a crime,” he said.
He said Dr Muscat could not act against Dr Abela in the same way that he had taken action against his former deputy, Anġlu Farrugia, because they were in this together.
“They are accomplices,” he said, adding that Dr Muscat “has failed the exam and will have to repeat the class.”
Earlier in his speech, he appealed to Nationalists not to be disheartened because “victory was close” but urged them to work harder to convince more people that a vote for his party was “natural and obvious”.
He listed his party’s achievements over the past five years, including a record number of full-time employees, nearly 4,000 more elderly who continued to work even after reaching pensionable age, 3,000 more students at the University, 6,500 students following Mcast courses and nearly 6,000 graduates every year.
He also mentioned the 16 kilometres of arterial roads and 850 residential roads that had been done up.
Dr Gonzi, who at times sounded hoarse, dedicated a good part of his speech to the undecided voters, urging them to weigh the country’s achievements before casting their vote.
“Five years ago, we were entrusted with the running of the country and we are returning it stronger than before.
“We have no divine right to govern but we believe that we can guarantee a secure future. Together, everything is possible,” he said, borrowing the slogan used by the PN in the 2008 election.
He said Labour was trying to imitate the PN with blue ties and blue backgrounds but true Nationalists could not be copied.
“We are vintage Nationalists, the ones of Eddie Fenech Adami and George Borg Olivier. The PN is ready to continue serving.
“We are the choice for jobs, health and education and a better, secure future for us, our children and our country,” he said.