Abela urges 'one last push' for votes as people start heading to the polls
The prime minister told supporters to convince one new voter every day
Robert Abela urged supporters on Saturday to help him in his final efforts to convince voters to re-elect him as prime minister next week.
"People have already begun voting today. The time is now to decide what future we want for our families," he told a mass rally in Qormi.
"So, let’s give it one last push to get there. Let’s convince someone new to join us every day so that together we give this country a better future."
Early voting opened on Saturday for people who are unable to vote in next week's election. Meanwhile, voters have till Sunday to collect their voting documents from local police stations.
On Saturday, flanked by a crowd that included several Labour candidates, Abela turned the campaign finale into a direct leadership challenge against PN leader Alex Borg.
He accused the 30-year-old of incompetence and said he was making unsustainable pledges.
"Who do you want to lead you after May 30?" Abela asked the crowd.
"Do you want Alex Borg, who doesn’t want to tell you who his team will be? Or do you want me?"
He claimed the PN is irresponsibly "promising everything to everyone, sometimes behind closed doors and in private emails, even though it knows it cannot deliver".
In contrast, Abela maintained that Labour's electoral promises are fully costed and integrated into a broader long-term fiscal plan. This is why he would be able to deliver on all promises if re-elected.
Back to the roots
Abela used his address in Qormi to connect with his personal roots, describing the locality as the birthplace of his early life memories and legal career.
"It’s where I started, and I will never forget where I started from," he told the supporters gathered.
Turning to policy, Abela described the Labour manifesto as a comprehensive social safety net designed to support citizens "throughout their lives," irrespective of their age, education, or social status.
According to Abela, the state's plan is built to cover citizens from before birth through adulthood and retirement, and throughout the hardships, like child therapy, marriage breakdown or the death of a spouse.