2013 election campaign cost Labour €1.5 million

Labour's slick electoral campaign which maximised the use of visual, sound and free-flowing food cost the PL €1.5 million, CEO Gino Cauchi revealed.

Cauchi presented the party's audited accounts yesterday evening during the party's annual general conference which comes to an end tomorrow.

The conference, which continues today, will be confirming Daniel Jose Micallef as the new president, replacing outgoing president Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi. Marc Vella Bonnici is to be approved as the international secretary, replacing Alex Sciberras Trigona.

The party delegates will also reconfirm Joseph Muscat as their leader, who will be delivering the closing speech tomorrow morning.

During his intervention, deputy prime minister Louis Grech reiterated the party's pledge to remain close to the people, announcing that in the coming days the government will be organising a series of meetings between ministries and citizens.

"We want the citizens to know what's going on and we want them to have a clear picture of the work we do, maintaining an honest relationship with the citizens," Grech said. 

Grech said a Labour in government will respect the principles that called for during the electoral campaign: a fair society, accountability and a stronger economic society.

On his part, Labour's deputy leader Toni Abela compared Joseph Muscat to the party's past leaders, saying Muscat enjoyed "the diligence of Pawlu Boffa, the courage of Dom Mintoff, the humanism of Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici and the mind of Alfred Sant".

Abela lauded Muscat for having injected new blood within the party. "He adopted new measures, which at times could have been risky, but left the desired results," he said.