Election playbook: Between two Fearnes

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Guilt by association: Chris Fearne is worried about facing charges in connection with the Vitals hospitals privatisation. On Thursday, he told the Labour parliamentary group that he would be ready to resign, if his colleagues wish so, in the event that he is mentioned negatively in the Vitals inquiry. A day later, he took to Facebook to say he was certain of his innocence, and that he always acted in line with the law.

Slip of the tongue: Gather round, a new “Haqqalanqas” just dropped. During the KSU University debate, Arnold Cassola kept repeating the phrase “Kemm Alla ħalaq”, and it eventually turned it into “Kemm Ħ*q A**a ħalaq”. After a clip of his slip-up made the rounds on social media, he issued a press statement titled “A sincere apology”. He insisted that it was unintentional, and admitted that it was out of context and does not form part of his vocabulary. Had Cassola been a celebrity influencer, the apology could have looked a lot more different. Picture him in front of a blank wall, looking sad in a Youtube video titled “My apology”.

Old-school politics: And here is where I apologise for all the Cassola content, but the man knows how to get himself in the news cycle. Last month, photos circulates of Labour candidate Thomas Bajada visiting a primary school in Gozo. Cassola filed a complaint with the Ombudsman, insisting that school children and staff should not be used for political means. Now, the Ombudsman replied back calling for clearer guidelines over visits to schools by elected officials and prospective candidates, and insisted on such guidelines being easily accessible to heads and assistant heads of school.

Cheques this out: A classic move from the Labour playbook. This week, workers received cheques in the mail of varying amounts as a reward for their diligence. These cheques were promised during the budget last year, with workers expected to receive between €60 and €140. Is this another election ploy? Two years ago, the government issued similar cheques during the general election campaign, and the OSCE questioned the timing of the refund back then. It looks to be an election of ‘suspicious timings’ on all fronts.

Candidate-watch: ADPD candidate Mina Tolu was in Brussels to deliver a speech. Independent candidate Edwin Vassallo was in Gudja talking about Infrastructure Malta projects. Nationalist candidate Peter Agius was in Ċirkewwa talking about the Gozo Channel. Labour candidate Claudette Abela Baldacchino visited the offices of the Southern Regional Council. Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba visited the Qrendi electorate. Labour candidate Daniel Attard held a political activity in Ħal Għaxaq.

What’s happening this weekend?: The Labour Party is holding a mass rally in Żabbar on Sunday, while the Nationalist Party will be in Valletta for their Sunday activity.