Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/825117
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 17 MAY 2017 News 6 TIM DIACONO A group of student PN sup- porters who were revealed to be planning to "hijack " the upcoming leaders' de- bate between party lead- ers had been informed hours in advance of the debate. MaltaToday has seen copies of a Messenger group conversation, that were partially leaked to student media group Insite, and can con- firm that the students were attempting to f lood the Wednesday debate with as many PN supporters as pos- sible. The online group chat was set up at 9:16am and a stu- dent's comment reminding people to attend "tonight's [PN] activity in Zejtun" indi- cates that it was set up on 9 May. This would mean that these students had been in- formed about the debate over nine hours before The Third Eye, the student media group organising the debate, pub- lished the event on Facebook for all students to see. "The Third Eye would like to clarif y that there had been no leak from within the or- ganisation in relation to the debate," Russell Attard Bal- dacchino, The Third Eye sec- retary general, said. The debate will be held at the Sir Temi Zammit Hall, which accommodates 800 people. The chat shows that the students were aiming for there to be present 600 PN- supporting students at the debate, compared to 200 PL- supporting ones. One comment states: "We need 800 people to be pre- sent. Start adding the ones you're certain of." Another student said that he will "speak to Il-Guru", the nickname of Mark Grech, president of the Nationalist Party's youth wing MZPN. Other comments include that the debate should be "hijacked like they [Labour] did in 2013" and that the stu- dents should ask trap ques- tions to Prime Minister Jo- seph Muscat. One comment reads: "Jo- seph can take the piss out of his supporters because they don't understand him, but the University is a different story and we could easily trap him with our questions. Besides, practically all of Malta will be following this debate." MaltaToday can also con- firm that the chat includes people who form part of the executive of Christian Dem- ocrat student group SDM. Following Insite's revela- tions on Monday, The Third Eye published a list of guide- lines for students wishing to ask questions to the leaders at the debate. It will be split into three parts; in the first part, leaders will take ques- tions sent by students to the organisers in advance, in the second part they will take questions that are posted on Facebook during the debate, and in the third part they will take questions from stu- dents from the f loor. Students who wish to pose a question must complete a form and submit it into a box at the entrance of the hall. At the end of the second section, the box will be taken to the stage, names will be selected at random by the moderator, and students whose names are drawn will be handed a microphone to pose their questions. The organisers have also drawn up a set of guidelines for students wishing to at- tend the debate, including that no bags or any items, including food and bever- ages, will be allowed into the hall. No one will be allowed to wear clothes bearing any political logos or slogans, and no form of "rowdy be- haviour" such as booing, yelling or cheering shall be tolerated. The debate will be held be- tween Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, PN leader Simon Busuttil, Partit Demokratiku leader Marlene Farrugia and Altertnattiva Demokratika chairperson Arnold Cassola today at 1pm at the Sir Temi Zammit Hall. PN student supporters had been informed in advance of leaders' debate TIM DIACONO A group of student PN sup- porters who were revealed to be planning to "hijack " the upcoming leaders' de- bate between party lead- ers had been informed hours in advance of the debate. copies of a Messenger group conversation, that were partially leaked to student media group Insite, and can con- firm that the students PN student supporters had been informed in advance of leaders' debate