Former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff, 91, yesterday afternoon called at the Electoral Office in Valletta, fuelling speculation that he was about to submit his nomination for the March 8 election.

But he left about an hour later with no nomination being submitted. It turned out that he called when the office was not receiving nominations.

Officials said he had been told that no nominations could be received between 1 and 3 p.m. In fact, nominations resumed after 3 p.m. with ministers Michael Frendo and Louis Deguara and parliamentary secretary Tonio Fenech handing in their applications.

After waiting in a room for just under an hour, Mr Mintoff walked out of the building.

Sources said he had complained to the Chief Electoral Commissioner about the fact that he was not allowed to hand in his candidature at that particular time.

Throughout the time Mr Mintoff was at the Electoral Office, he was in the company of PBS journalist Keith Demicoli.

Contacted, Mr Demicoli said that after he had interviewed Mr Mintoff last Monday, he received a phone call from Mr Mintoff yesterday asking him to go to his home in Tarxien. The journalist, who was accompanied by a cameraman, thought Mr Mintoff wanted to talk to him again.

When Mr Mintoff realised that Mr Demicoli was accompanied by another person, he objected, telling him he wanted to see him alone.

It seems Mr Mintoff wanted to engage Mr Demicoli's assistance. In fact, after asking the journalist to take him on some errands, he said he would like to go the Electoral Office at Evans Building, in Valletta, where Mr Mintoff arrived at about 1.26 p.m.

As he entered the building, Mr Mintoff objected to filming by media cameramen there and at one point waved his walking stick at them to express his disapproval. There was an amusing moment when Mr Mintoff slightly hit PBS cameraman Charles Ghirxi with his walking stick on his back side.

He waited for some time in a room and left at 2.20 p.m. without giving any indication that he would return.

Mr Mintoff left the room and walked briskly out of Evans Building and straight to the car with the PBS journalist and cameraman, who took him back home.

Asked by a reporter if he had submitted his nomination, Mr Mintoff refused to comment and simply said: "Nothing, nothing, When I call a press conference, come."