Prime Minister Joseph Muscat took the plunge this morning, calling Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil a liar after “months of reflection”.

“I rarely use harsh political language, and I’ve been thinking about this for some time now. I say it with much responsibility: Simon Busuttil is a liar,” Dr Muscat said to rapturous applause from Labour Party supporters.

He was speaking at a crowded Labour Party club in Rabat a few hours before Dr Busuttil is set to address a demonstration in Valletta.  

I rarely use harsh political language, and I’ve been thinking about this for some time now. I say it with much responsibility: Simon Busuttil is a liar

Dr Muscat said the Opposition leader had, for several months, been calling him and other members of his administration corrupt, insisting that a secret offshore company called Egrant, exposed as part of the Panama Papers leaks, belonged to him.

Media reports today, he said, proved that the company “never had and never would have” belonged to him. Implications that it ever had done were baseless and irresponsible, the Labour leader said.

Dr Muscat urged Dr Busuttil to fight a clean political fight.

“Let’s keep holding each other accountable, but let us do this responsibly. If Dr Busuttil continues to lie about me, my responsibility to run this country remains paramount,” he said.

Dr Muscat said that not only would he continue to “rise above the lies”, but his hand of friendship would remain extended.

“And if he doesn’t want to reach out and take my hand of friendship, it is there for those around him who would take it. Those around him that have given up on him listening to them. Those around him that, although remain committed to be part of the Nationalist Party, want a decent political relationship for the good of the country. But also those around him that are saying thanks and goodbye and are joining this political movement,” he said, once again prompting vigorous applause.

Dr Muscat then turned to those applauding him, insisting that they would also have to extend the same arm of friendship to all those who want to join “the movement”.

“You have to say welcome, welcome to this movement,” he said.

Dr Muscat also touched upon the controversial press law reform, labelling it “one of the most progressive moves of this administration.

A draft bill presented by the government on Tuesday would require news websites to register with the government and seeks to double the maximum penalty for libel to €20,000, while removing criminal libel and the imposition of garnishee orders on journalists.

The bill has been criticised by the Opposition as impeding on freedom of expression and follows a series of garnishee orders against blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Dr Muscat today said the bill sought to protect liberty of expression, not stifle it. Accusations to the contrary were yet another example of the Opposition’s lies, he said.

He referred to a number of arrests which had taken place on the eve of the 2013 election, including that of Ms Caruana Galizia, who had broken the rule of no political commentary the day before an election. Dr Muscat said that the government was committed to not see this repeated at the upcoming 2018 election.

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