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Abba leader will not participate in BA debates without equal time allotment
Ivan Grech Mintoff, leader of Christian-conservative party Abba, wants to have as much time allocated to his party as the PL and PN
19 April 2024, 2:56pm
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
1 min read
Abba party members during the 2022 general election
The leader of Christian-conservative party Abba has said he will not be participating in the Broadcasting Authority’s debates for the European elections, because the schedule favours the parties currently represented in the European Parliament.
Abba leader Ivan Grech Mintoff said neither Labour nor the Nationalist Party, which have four and two MEPs respectively in the EP, should be given more time on the public broadcaster than other third parties.
“40% of the Maltese people have said they will not be voting PN or PL,” Grech Mintoff claimed. “The BA is discriminating against us by not allowing us to debate with the PN and PL.”
Grech Mintoff has previously contested the 2014 and 2019 European elections, garnering 1,015 and 1,186 votes for the party Alleanza Bidla.
Grech Mintoff said Abba wanted equal time in all debates, including political broadcast adverts. He said that since this request was not accepted, Abba will not participate in any BA debates and will file a judicial protest against the Authority.
“The BA is obliged to safeguard all parties from political discrimination… the Electoral Commission should be ensuring free and fair elections,” Grech Mintoff said.
This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The action was co-financed by the European Union in the frame of the European Parliament's grant programme in the field of communication. The European Parliament was not involved in its preparation and is, in no case, responsible for or bound by the information or opinions expressed in the context of this action. In accordance with applicable law, the authors, interviewed people, publishers or programme broadcasters are solely responsible. The European Parliament can also not be held liable for direct or indirect damage that may result from the implementation of the action.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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