However, UKAM representative Horace J Anastasi said this declaration was untrue. “We did have a meeting and we told the board chairman that we would discuss it with our members and get back to them. There was no agreement of any form,” he said.

Mr Anastasi was not allowed to attend the press conference and was told by Mrs Borg that he could see the outcome of the conference in today’s newspapers. Speaking to the press after the conference he said: “You all saw it, she threw me out in the most arrogant of ways.”

However, the saga does not end there. The board chairman circulated a letter, issued by the industrial relations department, showing that the UKAM had been defunct as a union since 2001. “The board does not recognise this union as it does not officially exist,” she said.

Mrs Borg said an agreement had been reached last Friday but UKAM told its members, on the subsequent Saturday, that no agreement had been reached. “The rule is there. It is there to stay and next year’s contest will go ahead as planned. We are not recognising UKAM as a union,” said Mrs Borg.

Mrs Borg said Maltese composers and songwriters had written songs abroad and this allowed them a marvellous opportunity for exposure.

UKAM representative Mr Anastasi had another take: “Foreigners should not be allowed to participate in Malta. It is Maltese composers and songwriters’ only chance to get exposure.” Asked if he felt his position was fair, Mr Anastasi said: “Of course it’s fair.”

Since both parties are resolute in their stand, the issue is far from solved. The Song Board says the contest will go ahead as planned in February while the UKAM says its members will not take part.