[WATCH] Crowds gather in Valletta to bid final farewell to Dom Mintoff

Speaker Michael Frendo, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, his wife Kate, the PN parliamentary and administrative group together with hundreds of Maltese this morning paid their last respects to Dom Mintoff.

Mintoff is lying in state at the Presidential Palace in Valletta. Opposition leader Joseph Muscat together with his wife Michelle and the Labour Party parliamentary group also paid their respects at around noon. The crowd gathered outsde the President's Palace greeted the Labour leader. Emotions are running high with many people lined up to pay their respects to the Labour Party idol shedding tears and chanting the odd pro-Mintoff slogan.  

Former Prime Minister and President of Malta Eddie Fenech Adami together with former President Ugo Mifsud Bonnici paid their last respects earlier this morning.

Emotional Mintoff supporters are crying and taking pictures of Mintoff's open casket, saying, "Grazzi Perit. Imnalla kont int ghalina!" (Thank you Perit. Thank God you were there for us!)

A number of persons are blowing kisses and saluting Dom Mintoff as they pass by.

While the public can pay their last respects between 4pm and 7pm this evening, hundreds started queuing outside the Palace as early as 7am this morning with the queue extending to the law courts.

Mintoff's funeral will be held tomorrow morning at 10:30am, preceded by two days of national mourning. The funeral mass, celebrated by Archbishop Paul Cremona, will be held at St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta.

Tomorrow morning he will be lying in state from 7.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m.