The Nationalist Party, for partisan reasons, is playing with democracy and using shameful tactics to stop Maltese and Gozitans from voting in the upcoming elections, the Labour party said on Wednesday.

Addressing the media, Labour National Executive Secretary Lydia Abela maintained that the Nationalist Party wanted to stop elections in 23 localities in the south.

“This is an old game of the Nationalist Party that we have seen them play in the past.”

We want people to have the right to let their voice be heard, Abela said, because we believe that it should be the people who decide who leads in their localities.

Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Silvio Parnis added that “if there was ever a doubt of who really cares about the local councils, today it was obvious that only the Labour Party wants to strengthen them”.

“It is enough to look at the number of candidates we fielded.”

He noted how they had increased the allocations for the Local Councils and gave them “tangible responsibilities”.

“The strong element of dissolution in the Nationalist Party and its leadership has even led to the members of its own party believing in each other.”

Parnis showed how even the mayors of Gharb and Zebbug in Gozo, who are members of PN, are now running as Independents.

Also speaking at the press conference, Minister for Local Government Owen Bonnici insisted that it is “clear and obvious that PN wanted to stop the elections in 23 localities”.

“This is the way that the Nationalist Party wants to treat the residents in the South – by taking away their vote.”

Bonnici expressed that the way to answer back was with a strong vote in favour of Labour candidates.

He gave two choices – “those who can’t even organize a party, let alone a country”, and “a party that gets results both on a national basis but also locally”.

“The choice has never been clearer than before – we have on one side, the Nationalist Party, who wants to stop elections in the south, and then pl who is full of energy to change the country.”