Robert Abela did not show up to a Chamber of Commerce event where businessmen would have had the opportunity to ask the man vying to be Malta's next Prime Minister their questions.

Let's Talk Business with Chris Fearne and Robert Abela was organised on Friday morning by the Chamber of Commerce, with the plan being that the Chamber would first ask a set of questions to each leadership hopeful and then open the floor to attendees from the business community.

The format was that of an interview, meaning that the two candidates would get a turn to answer the questions. Fearne attended and spent an hour answering all the questions put to him from a packed hall of businessmen and Chamber members, however, once Fearne's segment was completed Chamber President David Xuereb got up to tell the crowd that Abela would not be attending.

Xuereb said that Abela had called him late the night before to advise him that he had other plans and hence could not attend.

Xuereb said that the Chamber had sent a set of eight questions to Abela - identical questions to those asked to Fearne - and asked if he could record his replies on video instead, with the videos being transmitted to the audience.

He said that as far as he had been told, those videos had been recorded but then noted that the Chamber had - up until that point - not received them.

Xuereb lamented that the event had been being planned for the previous three weeks and had offered the exact same format and questions to each candidate, which was accepted by both.

He said that the Chamber had tried its best and had offered Abela an alternative which unfortunately was seemingly not taken up either.

Abela's no-show comes as the leadership hopeful is yet to accept an interview with independent media houses such as The Malta Independent. Abela promised this newsroom on camera earlier this week that he would accept an interview, but failed to give a date and has not been answering requests since.

Labour Party members will tomorrow vote to choose their new party leader, with the choice being between Fearne and Abela.