PL silent over candidate screening

The Labour Party didn't reply to questions by this newspaper over what measures are in place to screen prospective candidates for both local and general elections.

MaltaToday sent questions to the PL's communication office asking how the candidature of individuals facing criminal charges reflected on the party and what screening process the party adopted for the choice of its candidates.

However, the PL's spokesman failed to answer the second question and made no reference to it whatsoever.

The PL was also specifically asked how the candidature of former Labour minister Joe Cilia - who was involved in the issuing of tenders to individuals in return for 50% of the profit when he was a parliamentary secretary - reflected on the party's insistence that certain standard behaviour should be upheld by all those involved in politics.

"Dr Cilia is denying all allegations in his regard and none of the allegations have so far been proven," the PL replied.

Writing in this newspaper today, Cilia also denied the allegations and went on to add that it was PL leader Joseph Muscat himself who invited him to contest the elections.

Several times, the PL and the Nationalist Party criticised each other for the choice of candidates, especially when someone would be facing a court case or when the candidate would be at the heart of a controversy.

The PN had heavily criticised Labour after former PN councillor Cyrus Engerer defected to the PL. The accusation was that the Labour leader took on board a person who was facing police charges in court.

In the past few days, the PL criticised PN incumbent for Sliema elections Julian Galea over the discriminatory comments passed against Labourites. It also criticised the PN when the latter failed to withdraw Galea's candidature from yesterday's local councils elections.

Then there are instances when both parties fail to react when both of their candidates are involved in a controversy, such as the current issue where a number of local councilors stand accused of defrauding the European Commission of €96,000.

The councillors, who are all pleading not guilty to fraud, are: Birkirkara deputy mayor Doris Borg; former Mellieha mayor Joseph Borg; former San Lawrenz mayor Noel Formosa; Fgura executive secretary Oreste Alessandro; the president of the local councils' association and Kalkara mayor Michael Cohen; Qrendi local councillor Claudette Abela Baldacchino; former LCA president and former Gzira councillor Ian Micallef.

The common stand taken by both parties was reflected in comments made by Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici who said the resignation of the local councillors facing a probe by the European Commission's anti-fraud office over embezzlement will be a private matter for them to consider.

Asked about the retention of the councillors despite the serious allegations, the PL's spokesman said that they are "still undergoing court procedures".