Opposition leader Bernard Grech said Prime Minister Robert Abela was planning to call an early election but something happened at the last minute which made him change his mind.
The PN leader was reacting to what Abela said on Saturday, when the prime minister accused the Opposition of being out to create uncertainty by creating rumours of a snap election in November.
“The prime minister has total power to stop such uncertainties and rumours, but instead he continued to ignore questions and demands from journalists, which allowed more uncertainty to grow. A true prime minister would not have done this,” Grech said on Sunday during an interview on NET.
Speculation over when an election will be called for has been ongoing for months, with dates as early as the end of November being mentioned.
Earlier this week, Abela deflated all rumours, saying that the next general election will not be held this year. Previously, he had dodged all questions about the election.
“The reality is that the prime minister was truly considering calling an election and had even decided to do so, but something happened during the weekend after I spoke in parliament, and he decided otherwise," Grech said without going into further detail.
He said Abela is a prime minister who does not take decisions and moves away from reality. The government, he charged, continues to ignore pressing issues, such as the preservation of the environment or tackling Stewards' hospital contract, opting instead to continue to steal from the people.
The Labour Party, he said, is full of people like Edward Zammit Lewis, Rosianne Cutajar, and Ian Castaldi Paris. It is a government full of people who continue to throw dirt on the country’s reputation.
On ONE TV’s Karl Stagno Navarra’s attack on civil society, the Nationalist Party, the church and the media, Grech condemned such behaviour.
“This is a result of panic, as the Labour Party continues to give the impression that it is strong. But this is not the case. The reality is that the people hold the strength to change the government once every five years.”
He called for everyone, politicians and the public to be more respectful towards one another and to not tolerate attacks, but instead to discuss and debate.
‘PN wants to help youths find hope in Malta’
Delving into the recent results of the EY Generate Youth Survey which showed that almost 60% of young people in Malta would rather live in another European country, Grech said he was concerned at how youths have lost "hope and faith" in their country.
“Criticism is good and we need to listen to our youths to see how we can improve the situation. What is concerning is that the majority of young people have lost hope in their country, that after eight years of a Labour government we seem to have moved backwards rather than forwards,” he said.
“Realistically, the slogans of ‘l-aqwa zmien; and ‘Malta Taghna Ukoll’ have failed. We need to show youths that there is a future here, and that together with the Nationalist Party, we can move forward and be the change we need. I want to help youths find hope in their country once again.”
'Mizzi entered politics to steal from the country'
On Konrad Mizzi's failure to attend Public Accounts Committee meetings, Grech referred to the former energy minister's claim that he would be available after November 3, Grech said that this promise did not mean anything.
"Mizzi joined politics only to steal from the people. He has the obligation to actually attend and pay his respects to parliament, the highest insitution in our country," Grech said as he slammed the government for continuing to protect Mizzi.
"What does Mizzi know about Robert Abela, about other party members, for them to continue protecting him," he asked.