Organisers of the Il-Każin debate proposed multiple dates and even offered to change timings in an effort to accommodate Prime Minister Robert Abela, co-host Jon Mallia said, adding that Castille only confirmed Abela's absence on the morning of the debate held on Monday evening.

While responding to journalists on Tuesday afternoon, Abela defended his no-show to the leaders' debate, saying that a dialogue with athletes and sportsperson had already been scheduled at the same time, and "it wouldn't have been right" to cancel the party activity so that he could attend the live debate.

In a statement on Facebook Wednesday, Mallia said that organisers had contacted both parties three weeks earlier and discussed three possible dates on which the debate between the two leaders could be held.

He said the PN kept two dates reserved for the event, while Labour had told organisers it would get back to them later.

"Two weeks passed and we remained hanging," Mallia wrote, adding that at no point were organisers told the proposed dates clashed with other commitments.

Mallia said several follow-up messages sent by organisers were ignored, while the team had also offered to move the debate timings.

He said that after eventually announcing the official debate date, organisers continued contacting Castille daily.

"On the day of the debate, at around 9am, we received a message: 'We will not be attending,'" Mallia wrote.

"The disappointment was great. We only wanted to deliver a researched, sober and honest debate to the Maltese public," he added.

Mallia acknowledged that it was the Prime Minister's prerogative to decide where he attends and where he does not attend.

"But it is equally the prerogative of the Maltese public to ask why," he wrote.

The debate, organised by Il-Każin, in collaboration with Times of Malta, had been expected to feature both Abela and Borg during the final stretch of the election campaign.

PN Leader Alex Borg faced questions alone, standing next to an empty podium, as Abela ultimately did not participate, with Labour later saying the Prime Minister had attended the athletes' event instead.