Accusing Investments Minister Austin Gatt of trying to be the Cabinet’s prima donna, the Labour Party yesterday denied it had directed mayors of towns around Grand Harbour to boycott a government exhibition of projects intended to develop Grand Harbour.

Dr Gatt, the MLP said, was even trying to steal the limelight from the prime minister. The exhibition relating to Grand Harbour, it said, related to 20 development projects of the port after 20 years of neglect by PN governments.

To cover up the lack of interest shown in the exhibition Dr Gatt had attacked the Labour Party and claimed that the MLP had directed mayors to boycott the exhibition, the MLP said, adding that this was not true.

Dr Gatt, it added, knew that whenever he had requested the cooperation of Kalkara and Xghajra councils relating to SmartCity, he had always found full cooperation, in contrast to the partisan attacks by the minister against the Labour mayors of these localities.