Rosianne Cutajar will not be allowed to contest the general election on the Labour party's ticket, the prime minister said on Monday, excluding her possible return to the Labour fold in the future.

Abela replied to journalists' questions after a two-hour PL executive committee meeting.

The meeting had been expected to discuss the controversy created by the publication of WhatsApp chats which Cutajar had with Yorgen Fenech, but she announced her resignation shortly before the meeting started. The chats revealed an intense relationship between the pair at a time when Fenech was facing increased scrutiny for being the owner of secret company 17 Black. He is now awaiting trial for complicity in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. 

“I am totally excluding a (Cutajar) candidature in the Labour Party's name,” Abela told media gathered outside party headquarters.

He said he had made his feelings clear at a meeting of the Labour parliamentary group on Thursday. 

“My opinion is reflected in Rosianne Cutajar's decision today,” Abela said. 

He also said that his position was made clear to her from the very beginning.

Abela had initially publicly defended Cutajar, saying she paid a political price when she resigned from her post as parliamentary secretary. But a week ago he gave his strongest indication yet that he expected the Qormi MP to step aside, saying that no one was bigger than the party and no one was bigger than the country.   

Abela said the process that led to Cutajar's resignation took two weeks as he wanted to follow the party's statute.

“I do not make decisions by myself, ” he said.

During the parliamentary group meeting last Thursday Cutajar was able to give her perspective, he said.

Monday's joint meeting between the party executive and parliamentary group was the next step and could possibly have seen her expelled from the parliamentary group, had she not resigned.  

She will still be staying on as an independent MP. 

“Rosianne Cutajar took the decision she was expected to take,” Abela said.

'Unaware of chats'

Abela said he was unaware of the Whatapp exchanges between Cutajar and Fenech revealed by author Mark Camilleri two weeks ago, and he had only known about the exchanges found in the Standards Commissioner's report (related to an Mdina property deal also involving Cutajar and Fenech). That case had led to Cutajar's resignation as parliamentary secretary.

Asked whether he was aware of exchanges between Fenech and Cutajar on cabinet decisions Abelas said: “I wasn't aware”.

He said he understood why people felt a “certain sadness” when the chats were revealed. 

But he said that all MPs must understand that ethical standards “have gone up the scale”. 

“Whoever doesn't live up to standards must face the consequences,” he said.  Unacceptable behaviour would not be tolerated. 

“The people expect economic growth and protection from rising prices but also integrity in leadership,” he said.

“I am obliged to give that to our people.”