Deputy prime minister says Labour deserves to win midterm elections

The Labour government would deserve winning the local councils election because it was delivering on its electoral pledges, earning the people’s trust, deputy prime minister Louis Grech said.

At a political activity in Siggiewi, Grech said no party had the “divine right” to be in power but it was that party which worked for the benefit of the citizens that deserved people’s votes.

“You earn people’s respect and trust and that is what we have been doing for the past two years. We haven’t stopped working, delivering on our electoral pledges, proving that we are the relevant party that is changing people’s lives for the better,” he said.

Replying to questions fielded by ONE TV journalist Graziella Camilleri, Grech said the Labour Party had won the 2014 MEP elections because the electorate realised that the PL meant business.

“I’m not saying that we are perfect … but we admit our mistakes and learn from them. I believe that we will these elections: while the PN’s slogan is that they want to make a difference, we are already doing it,” he said.

Grech reiterated that midterm elections were difficult for any party in government but he was optimistic that the party would succeed.

Responsible of the implementation of the electoral manifesto, Grech said this portfolio was a novelty which added discipline to the government. “We are telling the people to analyse and scrutinise us … the government is willingly putting itself to be tested by the people,” he said.

Grech said that Labour had started working on 25% of its electoral programme during the first year while around 50% of it has now been implemented. According to the deputy prime minister, people had a tendency to forget that the PL had been in power for just two years. “There is a tendency for certain things to be taken for granted: the reduction in the rate of inflation and the drop in deficit are no mean feat. The biggest achievement would be if we manage to pull Malta out of the excessive deficit procedure,” he said.