Bernard Grech on Sunday slammed the government for engaging in "various vote stealing” exercises.
The Opposition leader hit out at Prime Minister Robert Abela's government for targeting vulnerable people as part of a "vote stealing" exercise linked to disability benefits.
On Thursday, Times of Malta revealed how Abela’s cabinet approved a presidential pardon for disability applicants who had benefitted from fraudulent payments.
In justifying the pardon, Abela said that the applicants - many of whom have been hauled to court - had been put through “trauma.”
For Grech however, the “trauma” was one of the government’s own making.
“Prime Minister, you are the one who put them through this trauma. It was a vote-stealing exercise, targeting the vulnerable, for votes.
“For the prime minister, power is more important than people’s dignity. You and your ministers put them through this trauma,” Grech said.
The Opposition leader said the government was just recently caught engaging in another vote-stealing scheme during the run-up to the June European Parliament and local council elections.
Ninety-nine people were found to have switched their address to that of a yet uninhabited government housing block in Siġġiewi, in what the PN says is an attempt to influence the council elections in the locality.
Grech said Labour was fearful of the PN’s strong lineup for the Siġġiewi local council election, and was therefore trying to steal votes through gerrymandering.
“We caught them and we took them to court. We will now await justice. We are not saying these 99 people should not vote, but they should vote where they are currently living,” Grech said.
The Opposition leader also pointed out the government was once again set to send cheques to people before an election.
In 2022, an international election monitoring body said the government’s practice of sending out election cheques violated international standards.
Grech urged people to use the June election as an opportunity to send a “clear message” that better leadership is needed in Malta.
The PN is set to launch its election campaign during an event on May 1.