Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said this evening that the forthcoming round of local elections would be tough for the PN, but it had wanted the elections to be held, rather than be postponed, on a point of principle.

Speaking at a press conference with the PN’s 185 election candidates, Dr Busuttil pointed out that of the 34 localities where the elections will be held, 20 are controlled by Labour.

The PN had insisted that the elections should be held, even though the prime minister had wanted to postpone them, he said.

The PN’s electoral campaign, he said, would be waged under the banner of ‘Making a difference’.

The PN in Opposition was making a difference, as evidenced by the way it had persuaded the government to change course in various areas, including bringing down fuel prices.

The PN also wanted to make a difference at the local level. One could see the change for the better brought about in Mosta, where a Nationalist council took over from a Labour one three years ago.

And then there was the contrast at St Paul’s Bay, where Labour won three years ago but its council was practically dysfunctional to the extent that the Mayor had stepped down and been replaced, and there had been three executive secretaries and little real work.