[WATCH] 'What will they do with this country?' Abela asks, criticising PN's financial management

"How can the country trust someone to lead the country when they cannot manage their own finances?" Prime Minister Robert Abela asked party supporters on Sunday.

“They (the Nationalist Party) cannot even manage their own finances… The electoral commission has been chasing them for two years to publish their accounts,” Abela said.

The Prime Minister was reacting to news from court this week, where the Electoral Commission confirmed that the PN ignored five letters, asking for public accounts and a list of donors to be published.

The commission stated that it asked the PN to file the necessary documents as required by law in letters dated 18 January 2022, 6 April 2022, 12 January 2023, 10 April 2023, and 14 June 2023.

In Malta, each registered political party is obliged to submit its accounts and a list of donors according to the parameters set by the law regulating political party financing. After vetting the documents, the Electoral Commission then publishes the accounts and donor reports on its website.

Rallying in Ħal Kirkop, Prime Minister Robert Abela questioned why someone should trust the PN after such behavior.

"They burdened their party with decades of debt, not to mention what they might do with the country," Abela added.

On the contrary, he said, the Labour administration has been witnessing "one success after another," with a country blooming with a "dynamic economy."

Emphasising the importance of such an economy, the Prime Minister mentioned how this would lead to a better quality of life for citizens but also greater local investments.

Sticking with the latter, Abela went over his visit to the newly inaugurated Shoreline Mall in Xagħjra and several other projects in the South of Malta.

Abela asserted that the Nationalist Party appeared preoccupied with populist rhetoric and engaging in partisan games.

While the Labour Party's parliamentary group consistently convened to strategise about propelling the nation forward, Abela claimed that the PN's parliamentary group seemed more inclined to discussions centered around determining who to boycott next.

According to him, their decisions ranged from not endorsing any candidate from Joseph Muscat's cabinet for the presidency to opposing Aaron Farrugia's nomination to the International Maritime Organisation.

"How can one aspire to lead a country when the primary focus is on who to oppose?" Abela questioned. In contrast, he highlighted that the Labour Party was dedicated to maintaining a positive approach in their efforts to govern the nation.

Abela pledges to not support development projects that do not serve the common good

Turning his attention to development, the Prime Minister pledged to align himself with the people's interests, emphasising that he will not support development projects that do not serve the common good.

"I cannot deceive you by claiming that development will come to a complete halt," stated Robert Abela during another week of discussions on the Sofia Inquiry. "There will be instances where such scenarios do not align with the community's benefit."

Abela reassured the public that, in such cases, the government will intervene to safeguard the interests of the community. 

"We empathise with the concerns of the people, and our commitment is to stand on the people's side. We will work towards finding the solutions that our community rightfully deserves," he added.

Abela further elaborated on how the Labour administration is striving to strike a balance between development and "sustainable" development.