PL agrees to festive electoral silence

The Labour Party agrees with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s proposal to postpone all electioneering until after the new year, The Times has learnt. The party was asked to react to a proposal by Dr Gonzi to kick off the electoral campaign in the New Year, after the festive season, to avoid campaigning during an important period “for all of us”. Parliament will be dissolved next week if maverick Nationalist MP Franco Debono votes down the Budget on Monday. In this eventuality, both major parties have agreed that their election campaign should be put on hold until next month. Replying to questions by The Times, a spokesman for the Labour Party said Dr Gonzi made his proposal when he was aware of an informal agreement to this sense between the parties. “When Lawrence Gonzi spoke of postponing campaigning until after the Christmas period, he already knew there is a basis on an agreement between both parties. In fact, the issue was raised in cross-party talks by the PL, has already been discussed and agreement is imminent,” the spokesman said. Speaking during a recorded political interview on the party’s radio, Dr Gonzi on Sunday gave the strongest indication yet that an election...