Private initiative for commission to probe MLP's electoral defeat

Outspoken Labour supporter Anna Mallia has taken a personal initiative to set up a commission to analyse the party's electoral defeat and to determine who should shoulder responsibility for it.

Dr Mallia is appealing to Labourites, ranging from MPs to delegates and party supporters, to say whether they are interested in such a commission. She is also inviting Labourites to write to her and give their opinion about why Labour lost the last election.

Contacted after an article on the issue penned by her appeared on the General Workers' Union's daily l-orizzont, Dr Mallia said the party had appointed its own commission but there were no public statements from the party about who it was made up of and what it had done so far.

The commission was described by MLP secretary general Jimmy Magro as being independent. He said the members had been give a free hand to get information from anyone they wanted within the party. They were given a deadline of eight weeks and the report on their findings will then be passed on to the party for discussion by the national executive and the parliamentary group.

However, the party has not officially said who the members of the commission are.

"Why should we learn the make up of such a commission from the Nationalist Party papers? If the commission is made up of the people mentioned by the PN press, then the party's commission consists of two technocrats and a party man. I feel that something else has to be done as the heart of a party supporter does not beat in the same way as that of a technocrat.

"Those who, like me, love the party are deeply hurt when an election is lost and something has to be done," she said.

Dr Mallia said she wanted to form a team to draw up a report that would be given to the party administration and be discussed by both the party executive and at a general conference.

"The new deputy leaders are preaching that there should be space for one and all. We are now waiting to see this happen," she said.

"This is not about taking a stand against Alfred Sant. I would have done the same irrespective of who is leader. We have to draw the line to see where the leader's responsibility begins. A leader has to produce results. A leader is there for the party, not the party there for its leader.

"In 1998 Dr Sant predicted he was going to win the election and lost. He said he would win the last election and he lost again. Now he is already declaring that in five years' time he will be winning the election and becoming prime minister. How many defeats do we have to suffer to learn and change? Is no one responsible?," she asked.

Dr Mallia said the party had taken clear positions on EU membership before the election and Labourites were now baffled that the party, which urged them to be against EU membership, was accepting it.

"For me, the (EU accession) package negotiated by the government is not good enough. Why should the party vote in favour of membership? Like all other laws carried through parliament, the opposition can vote against and then respect parliament's decision and strive to better it, if needs be.

"The way the MLP is behaving, it is telling people to shut up on the EU issue," she said.

"The party needs to explain to Labourites, who have suffered vindictive acts at their place of work, why they have to spend five more years in such a situation," she said.

Dr Mallia has been critical of many issues plaguing the MLP in the past.

"Today, many are saying that what I said had to be done, should have been done. But, while Labourites spend another five years in opposition, who will shoulder responsibility?" she asked.

Contacted for his reactions, the deputy leader for party affairs, Michael Falzon, said the party executive had decided that a commission was to be formed and he felt that one had to respect that decision and wait for the report.