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WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT €1.00 WEDNESDAY • 29 APRIL 2026 • ISSUE 988 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY EDITORIAL • PAGE 11 Galdes challenges PL vote that stopped his election bid RODERICK Galdes is challenging a PL executive vote that barred him from contesting the next general elec- tion. On Monday, the Labour Party's ex- ecutive voted against Galdes's re-elec- tion bid, as he blamed manoeuvres within the party for the rejection. Internal sources confirmed to Malt- aToday that Galdes is challenging this decision. MaltaToday understands that two votes were taken during Monday's session due to the first vote ending in a tie. This then prompted a secret vote. CONTINUES PAGE 6 WEDNESDAY EDITION Labour's first-day dash hits a Galdes snag as PN goes slow THE Labour Party hit the road running with impactful pro- posals on the first day of the election campaign yesterday, following the script adopted in the last three elections. In a re-run of their campaign playbook since 2013, the PL put forward tangible propos- als that got people speaking about them. The proposals targeted mothers and fathers to be, pregnant women, first- time and second-time buyers, as well as pensioners—key de- mographics the party wants to consolidate. The only kink in Labour's carefully choreographed mes- saging was Roderick Galdes's decision to contest the par- ty's executive vote that barred him from being an election candidate. A defiant Galdes on Tuesday lodged an ap- peal, claiming that Economy Minister Silvio Schembri had no right to vote in Monday's executive meeting. The first open vote ended in a tie and a second secret ballot had to be taken, which turned the tide against Galdes. But while the PL was dishing out proposals and dealing with the Galdes issue, the Nation- alist Party kicked off its cam- paign with Alex Borg re-ex- plaining the party's choice of logo—A Fresh Start. It was a re-run of the message he de- livered on Monday evening in his message to the nation, on- ly this time he had journalists in front of him, including two One TV reporters who man- aged to get under his skin. In the afternoon, the PN held another press conference to highlight the PL's failure to deliver on its 2022 election promises, which, however, ended up with Adrian De- lia having to explain the PN's position on energy subsidies. Delia explained that a PN gov- ernment will invest in indige- nous wind energy projects that would result in cheap energy that subsidies would not be needed. The PN's slow start on the first day of the campaign jarred when compared to the PL's dash in what promises to be an intensive five weeks until election day on 30 May. Finance Minister Clyde Caruana (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt ELECTION DAY 1 MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt ELECTION 2026 REPORTAGE AND ANALYSIS SEE PAGES 2 TO 6 Robert Abela delivering the PL's first proposals on Tuesday Roderick Galdes