A graduand has slammed political leaders for playing under a different set of COVID-19 rules, as relatives were made to watch their loved ones' graduation ceremonies on big screens on Monday. 

"I cannot but express my disappointment that, at a time when COVID rules are being relaxed and many parties and other events are being held, including political mass rallies, we have still ended up with our relatives following this ceremony on a televisions screen in another hall," said Thomas Martin Grixti, a  Master of Dental Surgery graduate.

Grixti was delivering an address as a representative of the graduands at the graduation ceremony.

He thanked the University of Malta for going to great lengths to hold the ceremony within the COVID rules, but, he added, he felt the political leaders were not following the same rules.

While their parents and relatives were watching in another hall, he observed, political leaders were constantly hugging, touching and shaking hands with many supporters, without social distance or the wearing of masks, "a strong paradox that contradicts every tenet of common sense."

On Friday Labour delegates could watch Robert Abela in person as he launched the Labour manifesto.

The graduation ceremony was held at the University church in Valletta and relatives had no option but to watch proceedings from three halls at the Old University building.

Masters degrees were conferred on graduates in dental surgery, orthodontics,  health sciences, philosophy, medicine and surgery and biomedical sciences.

Graduands in the traditional ceremony before the conferment of degrees.