[WATCH] Joseph Muscat urges caution on elections analysis: ‘Let us wait for local council results’

Joseph Muscat has reserved judgement on the Labour Party’s dismal showing in the European election, insisting he wants to wait for local election results before commenting.

Muscat said he was satisfied with Prime Minister Robert Abela’s performance in government and insisted people will pass judgement on it when they come to elect a new government.

“I think a lot of the analysis done so far has been superficial… there is already a difference between the European election outcome and the results from yesterday’s local elections and I think it is premature to analyse the situation before having all results in hand,” Muscat said upon exiting the courthouse in Valletta at the end of the second sitting of the Vitals corruption case.

The former prime minister refrained from commenting on the ongoing court proceedings in which he is charged with corruption, money laundering and forming part of a criminal organisation over the hospitals contract his government had concluded with obscure investors.

Muscat acknowledged comments made by former Labour leader Alfred Sant that the shenanigans witnessed outside the law courts when Muscat was first arraigned harmed the PL. “My presence can influence either negatively or positively but what the outcome is on the weighing scales has to be determined,” he replied.

Asked about divisions within the Labour Party, Muscat insisted the PL knew how to unite.