News | Sunday, 07 June 2009

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‘Cautious’ Gonzi steers away from predictions

Julia Farrugia
In sharp contrast with his upbeat and confident comments given to journalists some 15 months ago in the 2008 general elections, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi looked anything but eager to face the media’s questions yesterday.
Accompanied by his radiant wife Kate, their son Paul and PN secretary-general Paul Borg Olivier, Lawrence Gonzi cast his vote at 9:10am at Marsaskala Primary School.
Gonzi was reticent about expressing his preferred outcome for the elections, after presiding over a downbeat campaign that braced itself for a bad result.
“We will see. We will see,” Gonzi told MaltaToday. “Let me cast my vote, and then we will see when the boxes are opened.”
In the past two weeks, the PN strategy team has attempted to downplay a prospective Labour win by saying that only if the Opposition gains a fourth MEP, would its result be considered a victory.
Making his way down a steep and tricky slope outside the Marsaskala primary school, Lawrence Gonzi was greeted by MEP incumbent Simon Busuttil and candidate Roberta Metsola Tedesco Triccas, who is being pushed discreetly by the PN party machine.
The two managed to catch some vital TV shots for the last day of indirect propaganda to televiewers.
Gonzi joked with the candidates. “Did you vote?” he asked Simon Busuttil. Seemingly not amused at Busuttil’s negative answer, Gonzi asked the same question to Metsola Tedesco Triccas.
“Not even you?” he asked seeing the candidate’s gesture. Nationalist MP Frans Agius sheeply suggested that the two candidates go and vote: “God forbid something happens to you.”
Later on in the day, President George Abela and his wife Margaret – whose private residence is in Marsascala – cast their vote. Speaking to journalists, Abela said that voting was a democratic process and encouraged people to take part and get out to vote.

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