Public Broadcasting Services has written to the Broadcasting Authority complaining that the Labour Party was “trying to impose” who should take part in its discussion programmes rather than let it invite the guests it wanted.

PBS said it had informed the political parties that decisions on who it should invite to its programmes were its own and its producers were not to allow political parties to impose on them.

But the Labour Party hit back saying it had its own policy on who represented it on current affairs programmes and would not accept imposition by the national television station.

It said the national TV station seemed to be trying to put obstacles in the way of the party taking part in these programmes. If this was the case, it amounted to a boycott.

The issue came to a head when discussion programme presenter Lou Bondi invited Charles Mangion, the PL spokesman on the economy, to take part in a programme on job creation alongside Finance Minister Tonio Fenech. The PL wanted to send veteran politician Karmenu Vella, who had also been tasked with drafting the party’s electoral manifesto.

PBS, however, refused and said its invitation was only made to Dr Mangion.

In a statement, PBS pointed out that last year, the PL sent election candidates instead of its MPs for discussion programmes, leading to criticism that more Nationalist MPs had appeared on television than Labour ones.

Addressing a press conference earlier, Labour deputy leader for Party Affairs Toni Abela criticised a PBS directive to its producers asking them to choose their own guests and not allow political parties to impose on them.

Dr Abela said the Labour Party was “not comfortable” with the people heading the state broadcaster who, he said, would not allow the party “a level playing field”.