Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil said that the PN representatives on the Electoral Commission had agreed on security features. When the voting documents arrived it was noticed that these security features are not in fact in place because one can wipe off the ink.

Addressing a press conference in Mdina, he said that there was agreement on the security features, but they were not there. He said the Prime Minister should shoulder the responsibility for this.

Back in 2013 the Nationalist Party had blasted Prime Minister Joseph Muscat for removing every permanent secretary when he was elected into power. Asked if Dr Busuttil as Prime Minister would do the same, he replied in the negative.

“We are ready to work with anyone who wants to be loyal to Malta and our electoral programme. We will not act like Joseph Muscat and clean house. If we see that there are permanent secretaries whose attitude show they do not want to work for Malta and for the programme, I will take responsibility and remove them.”

Onto the controversial citizenship-by-investment scheme introduced by Dr Muscat’s government, Dr Busuttil confirmed that a PN government would not up and halt the programme, but it would “clean it up” and assess any new conditions which would have to be enforced in order to curtail abuse. 

He said that both parents will be able to make use of sick leave availability, not just the mothers.