The Labour Party yesterday kicked off the process that will finally allow it to formally register as a political party under the new party financing laws.

In order for the PL to register with the Electoral Commission, amendments to the party’s statute are needed.

The party financing law is intended to regulate donations and make political parties more accountable and transparent.

The amendments to the PL’s statute are expected to be approved during the party’s week-long annual general conference.

Despite it being a Labour government that finally pushed through party financing laws, the PL was left high and dry when it attempted to register as a political party with the Electoral Commission.

READ: PL misses deadline for list of donations

The PL formally submitted its registration with the Electoral Commission last June.

During the submission, PL president Daniel Micallef had said the PL was keen to adhere to the law from the outset. He said that in many respects, such as the publishing of the party accounts, the PL was already operating in line with the party financing law.

In a tweet that same day, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici had said the PL registering itself highlighted the contrast between itself and the Nationalist Party.

He accused the PN of “dodging” a party financing law for 25 years and described their ċedoli scheme as one of “secret loans”.

Last month, the Electoral Commission said in a statement that Alternattiva Demokratika, the Moviment Patrijotti Maltin, the Democratic Party and the Nationalist Party were all registered political parties.

The PL’s failure to register with the Electoral Commission meant it missed a deadline to submit a list of financial donations it received last year.

All the other registered parties adhered to this deadline.

Party financing laws ban donations over €25,000 from the same source.

The PL has accused the Nationalist Party of circumventing the party financing law by accepting donations through its media arm Media.link.

READ: Labour, PN unleash scathing attacks on party financing

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that donations given by the db Group to the PN were tantamount to fraud.

The db Group has claimed it was asked by the Nationalist Party to fund the salaries of two top PN officials, Rosette Thake and Etienne St John.

According to the PN, the payments made by the db Group to Media.link were part of a commercial transaction related to advertising.

The PN has ignored calls for it to publish the invoices linked to these payments.