Abela keeps everyone guessing as speculation over March election grows

Prime Minister Robert Abela held a parliamentary group meeting on Friday which was followed by an instruction to all government ministers urging them to attend Sunday events.

The message was intended at calling on incumbents to bring activists over to rallies addressed by the Prime Minister on Sunday, instead of canvassing their constituency.

A similar instruction has been sent out to Nationalist Party MPs to attend gatherings addressed by Bernard Grech.

Speculation for a June election has now been overtaken by political rumoursthat Abela could announce an election this weekend, the last chance for a March election.

If Abela goes for it, he would request to dissolve parliament on Monday to hold an election on March 26, for the constitutionally-minimum 33-day window between the dissolution of the House and polling day.

The election would take place, some say controversially, exactly a week before the visit by Pope Francis.

The PN will be holding a gathering in Mosta while Labour will be on the Floriana granaries on Sunday with a large tent, a space traditionally reserved for mass events.