‘Muscat should withdraw candidature’– Borg Olivier

Labour leader Joseph Muscat should withdraw his candidature over the Safi Labour club drug incident, PN secretary-general Paul Borg Olivier said in Mgarr this morning.

"Our message is simple, jobs, jobs, jobs," he said, adding that the electorate should weigh up Muscat's words and actions. Highlighting Muscat's interview on today's Times, Borg Olivier said "It is unacceptable to admit an error on failing to report drug use at a Labour Party club. You cannot fall into a puddle of mud and expect to come out of it spick and span. Shame on you."

He added that if Muscat would have expected PL deputy leader Toni Abela to withdraw his candidature had he been on the party list because of his involvement in the Safi drug case, Muscat should do the same and withdraw his candidature because he is as guilty as Abela is on the drug case.

He argued that Muscat was also aware of the case and by his own yardstick, the Labour leader should do the honourable thing and withdraw his candidature.

Insisting that Muscat failed to shoulder political, ethical, and moral responsibility, Borg Olivier said Muscat "cannot get aaway with it as if nothing happened," because it was serious case involving drugs.

"Shame on you. You concealed a drug case for partisan interests. Manuel Mallia wants me imprisoned for exposing the truth on Labour while Labour do not take any action against persons who use drugs in Labour club a few metres away from a school."

Borg Olivier also said that the PN would not be intimidated by Labour's lies and attempts to silence it from exposing Labour's true face. 

Opposition leader Joseph Muscat admitted to making a mistake in not reporting the drugs find at the PL Safi club in 2009 to the police.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Muscat denied ever lying outright about the case. Muscat had initially denied any knowledge of the drugs find when the Toni Abela recordings first surfaced.

On his part, PN leader Lawrence Gonzi said the European Commission's winter forecast showed that the country should not change its direction.

Speaking in Mgarr, Gonzi echoed Borg Olivier's call for Muscat to withdraw his candidature after admitting that he mishandled the Safi drug case, saying: "To govern you need foresight and not hindsight."

"Muscat's admission means that he had lied about the case when he said he did not know about it. He was informed about the case which possibly carried a life sentence on at least two occasions. However the only thing he did was to pose for a picture with the informer."

He added that the difference between the PN and Labour is that "when we come across some illegality we inform the police and take action and not seek some Labourite or Nationalist police officer to conceal the facts."

In his concluding remarks, Gonzi said: "There is no risk in voting for us. You know what we have done and you know what we are capable of doing. You know were you stand with us. We do not have a divine right to govern the country. We must gain the people's trust and we are ready to serve the country. We served the country in difficult times and we are prepared to serve the country again."

The PN would remain close to the people even after 9 March, PN deputy leader Simon Busuttil said.

In a direct pitch for young and first-time voters, Busuttil said: "You will be decisive and I am confident that your decision will be clear, the next Prime Minister should be Lawrence Gonzi."

He said the key to the future is in the electorate's hands, and young and first-time voters will once again be behind the PN after weighing up their options.

"When you put our achievements in contrast to our errors, the balance tips in favour of the Nationalist Part's achievements," Busuttil said.

Quoting a number of Facebook replies to a question he posed on his profile, PN deputy leader Simon Busuttil said there are numerous reasons why the people should vote in Lawrence Gonzi to office for another term.

"You are a statesman for the next generation," Busuttil said, quoting one of the messages he received. 

Addressing the local community of farmers, Busuttil said: "The PN was, is and will remain your party."

Asked by the event host what was the PN's secret in creating new jobs, secretary-general Paul Borg Olivier said: "There was one simple formula, called Lawrence Gonzi."

He added that the country underwent a thorough transformation, in part thanks to EU membership which Labour leader Joseph Muscat opposed.

"The Labour Party has not uttered one single word in seven weeks of campaigning on job creation. On the other hand, we have not started speaking on job creation now, we have worked hard and created jobs during the last five years. We not only want to create new jobs but we also want to create better jobs," Borg Olivier said.

Describing job creation as a "bread and butter" issue, the PN secretary-general said that during the next five years, the PN would guarantee peace of mind, job creation and a "safe and secure future."

In a brief but impassioned intervention, MEP David Casa said Labour leader Joseph Muscat was being dishonest in saying that he accepted the people's verdict in the 2003 EU membership referendum.

"Muscat's claims are false, after the 2003 referendum he insisted that the No had won the referendum, he opposed the signing if the EU treaty and also opposed the Sant' Antnin sewage treatment plant project and tried to stop Malta benefitting from EU funds for the project," Casa said.