Sant tells voters ‘abstention is PN vote’

Former prime minister Alfred Sant has warned Labour grassroots from keeping away from the ballot boxes on 25 May, telling voters that abstaining in the European elections “would be tantamount to a vote for the Opposition.”

Labour is increasingly concerned that voter apathy or abstention could keep its expected majority down, offering a boost to the one-year leadership of Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil.

“The popular vote in the coming EP elections should serve to confirm the government in its mission to get the economy moving and to provide new hope for the people,” Sant, an MEP candidate, told voters in Gudja.

“The challenge of creating strong growth is being faced head-on. New investment from abroad has been secured from China. The economic growth achieved last year has even surprised the European Commission. We need to go on building on these extremely good results. The Joseph Muscat administration is showing that it is keen to defend the interests of workers young and old, while delivering on its promises. Abstentions by Labour-leaning voters would be tantamount to a vote for the PN Opposition,” Sant said.

Sant also spoke abour youth unemployemnt being at a record-high in the EU. “Up to now, the prospected growth is not likely to improve the prospects for new jobs. Meanwhile, the austerity programmes that have been followed in past years are becoming discredited for having failed to generate productive investment coupled to jobs. The European Socialist Party is calling for concerted action through new investment and job guarantee schemes to turn the situation around.”