Editorial

In the space of little more than 24 hours, Alfred Sant conceded defeat in Saturday's general election and then threw in the towel and announced he would be stepping down as leader of the Malta Labour Party after 11 years at its helm. As leader, the buck of course stops on his desk. But is it fair that he should carry the can alone?

Dr Sant has been directly linked to the MLP since 1982 when he headed its information department. He served as president between 1984 and 1988 and was elected leader in March 1992, taking the party to an electoral victory in 1996 when he became prime minister, a post he held until 1998 when the Labour government lost an early election called by Dr Sant after it became evident he could no longer command his one-seat majority in parliament.

The performance of the Sant-led Labour Party has been disastrous ever since, culminating in the popular rejection of its "partnership" option in the March 8 referendum on EU membership and Saturday's electoral defeat.

As prime minister Dr Sant had had a flying start. But soon he was making serious blunders, miscalculations and, in the process, painting himself in a corner. You sow the wind and reap the whirlwind and, to his credit, Dr Sant has assumed full responsibility and decided to move on, making way for a new leader.

But was this a one-man band? Did Dr Sant lead by diktat? What about the much-vaunted "leadership", the party secretariat, its media? Where did the delegates feature? Should the people responsible for these departments now push Dr Sant in front and leave him alone in the firing line?

Definitely not. The Times has been a foremost critic of Dr Sant's way of leading and of doing politics. Yes indeed Dr Sant had no other alternative but to go... but not alone. With him should go all those who stood and watched as the Labour Party was gradually stripped of all that which had rightly made it one of the two larger political forces in this country.

George Vella and Joe Brincat must shoulder their fair share of responsibility. The party's general secretary, Jimmy Magro, and the president, Emmanuel Cuschieri are just as responsible. The latter two, at least, persisted in their unsavoury tactics even after such a humiliating defeat last Saturday. They continued transmitting the message that they are right and the majority of the people are wrong. Some people just never learn!

It is so easy at this delicate stage of the MLP's life to point figures, to shrug off responsibility. Yet, if the party truly wants to reconstruct itself, evolve and start appealing once again to the majority of the electorate, there needs to be a clean sweep. There needs to be a culture change.

Dr Sant was correct in saying there was no need to hurry in the search for a new leader and leadership. One augurs that this search will not be conducted by Dr Sant himself and those in his inner circle. Their time is up and they must all go.

The party, any political party, for that matter, is, in the main, made up of diehards. However, the electorate is increasingly showing that the head prevails over the heart when faced with the ballot paper. The new MLP leadership has no option but to bear this in mind. It is a choice that could make or break the MLP and democracy needs a strong alternative political force to the one in power.