Robert Abela announces General Election for 26 March

Prime Minister Robert Abela has announced the 2022 general election will be held on the 26 March. 

The PM made the announcement during a political event held at the Floriana granaries on Sunday. 

The announcement means Abela will be dissolving parliament on Monday. 

The election slogan for the Labour Party will be ‘Malta Flimkien’ (Malta Together). 

Addressing supporters, Abela said come next Spring, people must leave uncertainty behind them, and “look ahead at the future with optimism”.

“The world has learnt to live with the pandemic’s affects. Now our focus shifts on creating more opportunities. People want to leave uncertainty behind them,” he said. 

Abela said calling the general election had to be in the country’s best interest. “The national interest in January 2020 was to regain political stability. When the COVID-19 pandemic came around, saving lives and the economy was the national interest. Now we can look at the future with optimism.” 

“Yes, the future is bright, because we are strong in the present. Let us not take anything for granted,” the PM said. “We will never lose touch with the people. We are here to listen. We overcame the challenges because we were united. When we believed our country could be better, we emerged successful.”

He mentioned a number of achievements by this administration, saying the PL is the party that can take the country forward. 

“We are edging closer to the moment we will take the crucial decision. The decision between moving forward, or risking the success we have achieved. A choice between the past and the future,” he said. 

Ramona Attard 

Addressing the political event, PL President Ramona Attard called on supporters to “move away from the politics of hate and division”. 

“We cannot allow the PL to repeat the PN’s mistakes. They have a lot of coaches – Beppe Fenech Adami , Bernard Grech, Jason Azzopardi, Karol Aquilina, sometimes his brother. We have one coach, and that is the statesman that is Robert Abela,” she said. 

The PL president said she never asks the PM on an election date. “What I tell him is that we are ready. The party is ready to support Robert Abela.” 

She said supporters should expect personal attacks from the PN. “They attack their own, let alone their political opponents. The more they attack, the more we will focus on the politics of people.”