Labour leader Joseph Muscat has resisted calls for the withdrawal of his general elections candidature over the way he covered up an alleged drugs case at the Safi Labour Party club, saying political responsibility had already been shouldered by the top party administration.

Speaking to journalists at the end of a lightning visit to the Island Dog Sanctuary in Marsaxlokk, Dr Muscat said he had nothing to add to the interview he had given The Sunday Times.

In this interview, he had admitted the mistake committed by him and his deputy, Toni Abela, that the matter should have been reported to the police as soon as it happened.

He reiterated what he said in the interview that the matter could have been handled differently.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi insisted that Dr Muscat should shoulder responsibility for having been aware of the Safi club incident where cocaine, referred to as a white block, was allegedly being prepared for trafficking. PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier said Dr Muscat should withdraw his candidature while Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said the positions of Dr Muscat and Dr Abela were not tenable.

Dr Muscat said that Dr Abela had shouldered responsibility for the case by taking action against the person allegedly behind what had been reported to him.

Questions why Dr Abela did not resign even after the case emerged, Dr Muscat said Dr Abela had kept his position in the same way that Finance Minister Tonio Fenech had kept his.

Dr Muscat said Dr Gonzi, as minister responsible for the Police Force at the time, had been aware of the case but failed to report it to the police as was obliged to do.