Prime Minister Robert Abela condemned “all forms of hate speech” after Nationalist MP Darren Carabott revealed he had received comments urging him to commit suicide.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Abela said he “categorically and absolutely” condemned hate speech. The Malta Independent asked Abela whether he wished to condemn the remarks made towards Carabott.

“I condemn all forms of hate speech. Every form. No matter where it comes from, who made it, or who it is directed towards,” Abela said.

Abela said he wanted the election campaign to remain “responsible” and focused on debating political arguments rather than personal attacks.

Abela used the opportunity to promote Labour’s “Int Malta” manifesto, saying it offered the only strategic direction capable of improving people’s wellbeing and quality of life. He said the government’s proposed wellbeing index and the implementation of manifesto measures would aim to improve the quality of life of the population by 25%.

He added that voters should focus on the competence of the team seeking to implement the manifesto’s measures and expressed confidence that the Maltese public would make “the correct choice” for the future of families and the country.

Asked separately about comments he made on Tuesday warning that “absenteeism” could pave the way for a Nationalist Party victory, Abela insisted that voting was both a right and a responsibility.

“The vote is a right that our forefathers fought hard for,” he said, adding that Labour governments had worked over the years to strengthen that right.

Abela said it was “crucial” for people to cast their vote if they wanted Malta’s economy to remain strong and the country to stay protected from international geopolitical instability, including escalating energy crises and growing global tensions.

He argued that Malta needed a “credible and competent” team capable of continuing to steer the country in what he described as the right direction.