Outgoing Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said Sunday that a survey showing Labour retaining strong support despite recent turmoil showed how the vast majority of the Maltese did not make their political judgement based on things that happened in the course of “one week”.
Speaking on Labour’s ONE radio, Dr Muscat, who is stepping down as prime minister next week, referred to a survey published in the Pl newspaper KullĦadd.
It showed, he said, how the vast majority of the people stuck with the party even when they had every opportunity to abandon it.
While not referring to any issue in particular, Dr Muscat said that if there was ever a time when the country experienced problems, it was in the past month.
“The people had every opportunity to abandon the Labour Party. But the people do not judge on the basis of things happening over the course of one week. People judge things based on facts,” Dr Muscat said.
Malta has been in political turmoil since November, when shocking revelations from investigations into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia emerged. Dr Muscat announced his resignation a month ago following the arraignment of tycoon Yorgen Fenech, accursed of complicity in the journalist's murder. His announcement came hours after chief of staff Keith Schembri and minister Konrad Mizzi stepped down.
Mr Schembri is regarded a person of interest in the investigation into the journalist’s assassination and was held under arrest and interrogated last month but was released 48 hours later without charge.
Upcoming Labour leadership election
On the election for a new Labour leader being held on Saturday, Dr Muscat said the upcoming week was an important one for the party.
Saying he would support whoever was elected, be it Health Minister Chris Fearne or backbencher Robert Abela, Dr Muscat also appealed for people not to have a “siege mentality”.
He said that since he took over 11 years ago, the party had been changed from one that was closed off to one that transformed the country.
He said that in his final speech as prime minister on Friday, he would dwell on what had been achieved as well as the direction he was confident the country would follow. He would also speak about his own plans.