Connections made between MLP, PN leadership issues

The return of Tony Zarb to the helm of the General Workers' Union, barely 24 hours after he had "voluntarily" resigned, was a "dress rehearsal" for what could happen with the Malta Labour Party leadership elections, and was a clear message that the machinery was geared up to defeat possible candidate George Abela, sources said yesterday.

Sources said those who oppose Dr Abela were afraid that if Mr Zarb were removed from the GWU post, the union's papers, read mostly by a Labourite audience, could help garner support for Dr Abela.

Sources said Dr Abela's image was already being tarnished and some argued that he was not the ideal candidate because he attended the meetings of the Malta-EU Steering Action Committee, when the party was boycotting them. Dr Abela had attended the meetings with the blessing of the GWU administration, including that of Mr Zarb.

John Attard Montalto, Evarist Bartolo and Anglu Farrugia are known to be canvassing for support among party delegates for the MLP leadership. Dr Abela is still being urged to run for the post but it is not known what his intentions are.

If Dr Sant decided that he would not contest, it was very likely that the party machinery would promote Mr Bartolo.

One of the problems is that Dr Sant has so far refused to declare unequivocally whether he intended to stay or not, which sources said was confusing supporters.

There are three trends of thought among Labour party activists: that Dr Sant will stay on and lead the party to the next election; that he would stay on only until January, when the party administration is due to be changed or reconfirmed; or that he would not contest at all, opening up the way for a leadership contest.

A day after the election results were announced, Dr Sant declared that he did not intend to contest the party leadership at the party's next general conference "because it's time to give space to a new leadership".

Sources said if Dr Sant now declared that he was going to contest, he would argue that this was in the best interests of the party and the road was already being paved to provide such a way out.

Following the MLP's executive and parliamentary group meeting on Wednesday, Super One ran a story on Thursday that "sources" informed them that Dr Sant was re-considering his position in the light of the appeals made for him to stay on through various letters and phone calls.

Labour mayors have already written to Dr Sant urging him to stay on. Petitions urging him to stay are now being collected by several MLP clubs.

One of the arguments already being made both in the media and on radio talk shows is that it is difficult for the party to take the right decision so soon after the electoral defeat and minds would be clearer in eight months' time.

Among those who believe that Dr Sant would leave now, some think that he might be raising expectations by staying on so that - when he finally declared he was not contesting - everyone would thank him for it and say what a gentleman he was.

In a separate move, MLP mayors Michael Cohen and Anthony De Giovanni, who were behind the letter signed by mayors urging Dr Sant to stay on, failed to get Labourite councillors to sign a similar letter. The letter that was sent in the end thanked the leadership but did not urge Dr Sant to stay on.

The party deputy leader Joe Brincat, who spoke at the MLP meeting on Friday, focused on the shortcomings of the internal party organisation, which many of those present interpreted as an attack against international secretary Michael Falzon.

At the meeting, Ray Attard was elected vice-chairperson of the councillors' section.

The removal of Mr Zarb was at the time seen by many as a message to Dr Sant that a leader whose polices had lost should make way for new blood.

The problems with Mr Zarb's leadership had been brewing for a long time and only surfaced openly in October 1999, when Ronnie Pellegrini resigned from the post of Ports and Transport Workers Section secretary.

In his letter of resignation, Mr Pellegrini had pointed accusing fingers at the way Mr Zarb was running the union.

Last July, following deputy secretary general Mario Cutajar's resignation, the other union officials had practically wrested all power from Mr Zarb's hands and sources said an attempt to overthrow him at the time had not taken place because it was becoming evident that the EU referendum and general election were not too distant.

Mr Zarb enjoys support among sections of the MLP administration and party president Manwel Cuschieri spoke highly of him during his programme on Super One radio last week after the resignation was announced and before the union's council asked him to stay on.

Now that Mr Zarb is back, this would ensure that the loyalty of l-Orizzont and it-Torca would remain where the party wanted it to be, sources said.

Sources said the union's council meeting on Friday was attended by around 45 people and when the motion for Mr Zarb's election was put to the vote, 35 did not accept the resignation, seven accepted and one abstained. Mr Zarb was then "urged to stay on" and within an hour he decided to accept to stay under certain conditions.

Sources said it was worth noting that in Friday's issue of l-Orizzont, the story announcing the news of Mr Zarb's resignation was accompanied by a photo of Mr Zarb with the eight section secretaries and four administration officials. Nowhere was it stated that anyone was contesting his resignation.

The fact that only seven accepted his resignation in the council meeting a day later showed the amount of pressure that was wrought upon the union delegates.

Sources said while the council meeting on Friday was in progress, union officials were informed that some union delegates had had to restrain militant workers in Malta Shipbuilding and Air Malta from going to the union and that they were not certain they would able to hold them from going there.

Another reason given for Mr Zarb to stay on was that there would be mass resignations if he left the post, an argument similar to that being made within the party should Dr Sant leave.