How many people does it take to fill a pothole? In Gozo, 13
The workers were seen toiling away in Fontana before dawn
The trope of road works being hastily carried out on the eve of an election is a well worn one.
But a video from Gozo shared with Times of Malta on Thursday appears to take it to a whole new level.
The video shows 13 workers patching up what appear to be potholes on Triq il-Kappillan Hili in Fontana at around 5am on Thursday.
Some of the workers are armed with shovels, others with brushes, while others appear to be directing the works.
The Gozo Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
The video follows a Times of Malta report that several of Gozo’s business owners are facing a severe shortage of local staff as ministers have allegedly been handing out jobs in exchange for votes ahead of the election.
The pre-election scramble for votes in Gozo has intensified during the election campaign, and rumours of a jobs-for-votes bonanza are spreading like wildfire across the island, sometimes fuelled by the voters who brag of getting such favours.
In April, Opposition leader Alex Borg claimed that hundreds of people were queuing daily outside JobsPlus offices in Gozo for pre-election jobs.
Addressing a political event in Gozo’s capital, Victoria, the PN leader slammed the government for stringing Gozitans along with promises of jobs throughout its term, only to tell them to register for work on the eve of an election.