The Nationalist Party yesterday raised questions about Joseph Cuschieri’s sudden change of heart to contest the MEP election, asking whether this was a case of a Prime Minister “buying” the silence of a dissenting Labour candidate.

On Thursday, Mr Cuschieri announced his intention to seek re-election, three days after complaining that the party had already decided who it wanted to see elected and that he had been put among the losers. The MEP subsequently told this newspaper that the Prime Minister had persuaded him to change his mind.

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil yesterday referred to these developments during a political activity in Ta’ Xbiex, questioning Mr Cuschieri’s “conversion”.

“I would like to know whether the Prime Minister has promised something to Mr Cuschieri in case he is not elected,” he asked. He also wondered whether the taxpayers would have to bear the brunt of such a promise.

Dr Busuttil said the government was dumping people as soon as their services were no longer needed.

He referred to the recent Cabinet reshuffle saying that Godfrey Farrugia was made the scapegoat of the government’s failure to keep its promises.

He said the first year of Labour government had shown that, contrary to its promises, it had no road map and was not prepared to lead the country.

Touching on unemployment, Dr Busuttil said the government’s only solution was to engage people on the State payroll. Nevertheless, unemployment had increased by about 500 people since Labour was elected to power, Dr Busuttil said.

He referred to the health sector saying the problem of out-of-stock medicine was hitting hard even places like Mater Dei Hospital. Dr Busuttil said the stock of basic supplies, like sodium chloride drip, had “dropped dramatically”.

On the controversial legal notice allowing the Education Minister to access students’ personal information for research purposes, Dr Busuttil questioned whether such information would be used for political motives, warning that the minister would be vested with “disproportionate powers”.

The Opposition would fight its case tooth and nail in this evening’s parliamentary debate on a motion intended to repeal the legal notice. He accused the government of portraying itself in favour of civil rights only as long as it could get something in return.

Dr Busuttil hit out at Justice Minister Owen Bonnici accusing him of trying to keep his involvement in a road incident under wraps. “The government wants to know everything about our children but then remains silent if it involves Owen Bonnici,” he said.

Referring to next month’s MEP election, he said it was very difficult for the PN to win in terms of votes. However, this could still be an opportunity to convey the message that the party had learnt its lesson and was a credible alternative, he said.

The Labour Party said later that the fact that Dr Busuttil did not utter a single word on the Civil Unions Bill spoke volumes on his political belief and style of leadership.

“Simon Busuttil has lost control over the extreme forces within his own party and is now caught in a very weak and difficult position,” it said.

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