Analysis: Election Roundup – Day 29 – A prime minister unwilling to face hard questions

As more and more election leaflets continue to be thrown into our letter-boxes – what a waste of money, as if people are influenced by the glossy pictures – we are nearing the end of the highly-charged election campaign.

Yesterday we had the confirmation of a Prime Minister who is too much of a coward to face hard questions by the media. Both The Times and The Malta Independent had their invitations to interview him turned down; well, it's better to say "ignored", which is perhaps is a worse kind of attitude from someone who receives an invitation.

Joseph Muscat chooses to only go where he is most comfortable, with the likes of Reno Bugeja and Saviour Balzan, where he is praised and thrown soft-balls, rather than face challenging questions on his shortcomings.

It says a lot about the person. It says a lot more about the politician who comes from the media, who was a journalist, and who is now afraid of being put on the spot. People who are still undecided should take note of this before making up their mind.

Knowing that recent forays were not too equality-sensitive, in Labour'e evening event Prime Minister Muscat tried to woo women by reminding them of the achievements made by Labour in the liberal field. 

Earlier, the Prime Minister was caught in another unfortunate moment, when he said that Keith Schembri had offered his resignation when he (Schembri) was passing through some difficulties because of ill-health. This contradicted what Schembri had said in a round-robin email a day earlier, that he had offered to resign because he did not want to be a distraction, given that his name was being mentioned too often, and for the wrong reasons. Who is telling the truth?

For his part, PN leader Simon Busuttil said that Joseph Muscat, given his involvement and his inability to act, will have to resign "when" Schembri is arraigned.

The campaign took the Nationalist Party one last time to Gozo. The PN held a mass meeting there during which PN leader Simon Busuttil pledged to deliver results within the first 100 days of taking office. The PN is the only party to have produced an electoral programme specifically for the sister island.

Earlier, the PN held a press conference during which the Opposition Leader slammed the agreement which was reached by the Labour government with the Vitals Group on the Gozo Hospital.

In the morning, the Prime Minister went to MCAST to sing the praises of an institution which had been closed down by a previous Labour government and re-opened under a Nationalist administration.

Today, the leaders will be involved in their last pre-election debate organised by the Broadcasting Authority. They will be in a more-controlled environment when compared to Xarabank.

from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/2scgyIe
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