Abela says Labour congress does not signal imminent election
Prime Minister refuses to rule out early vote but insists timing remains open
Updated 10.22pm
Robert Abela has insisted that the Labour Party’s pre-electoral congress taking place next week “does not necessarily mean" he will be calling a general election before summer.
In comments to journalists on Thursday evening, hours after the PL president and deputy leader announced details of the upcoming congress, the prime minister refused to dismiss that an election will happen soon.
“Everyone began speculating about the election because we called the congress,” Abela said.
Under the party’s statute, the congress can meet for three reasons. It can be called to elect the party’s leader, “before a general election to discuss the political guidelines of the party” or the executive committee can also call a congress on its own initiative.
The congress, which will begin on Sunday in Gozo and conclude Friday 17 April in Ta’Qali with a speech by the Prime Minister, will bring together people from across the party, including delegates, card-carrying members, but also as social partners, NGOs, to contribute towards the party’s manifesto.
The decision to hold congress has fuelled talk of an election in either May or June.
However, Abela said that the latest time for an election is within a year meaning that the congress did not necessarily mean a snap election. He said he looked forward to consulting with the party’s stakeholders including civil society and social partners during the six-day congress.
Asked whether Malta will go to the polls before summer, Abela simply replied that "there will be an election between now and March 2027”, when the government’s five-year term comes to an end.
Offered the opportunity to dismiss the speculation that an election will be called in the coming weeks, Abela said that an election will happen "when it is in the national interest".
"Thank you but I don't need the opportunity. The election will happen when, in my discretion and judgment, the national interest dictates that an election should be held.
"There is always speculation about an election and this speculation always intensifies in the final year," Abela said.
Last month Times of Malta revealed that the Labour Party’s strategy team had been meeting regularly to prepare the party for the possibility of a snap election.
According to Maltese law, Abela can call a general election whenever he wishes, but there must be a minimum of 33 days between parliament’s dissolution and voting day.
If he were to announce the election on April 17, the final day of Labour's congress, the earliest possible election date would be Saturday, May 23.