Three-way race for MLP leadership

Labour leader Alfred Sant and Dr Anglu Farrugia yesterday cast their nomination for the leadership, as expected, bringing the number of contenders to three when they closed at lunchtime yesterday.

Dr John Attard Montalto had cast his nomination on Thursday.

The Labour Party leader will be elected by the party's general conference on Thursday. However, if none of the candidates obtains 50 per cent plus one of the valid votes cast, there will be a run-off on Friday between the top two candidates.

The general conference will meet again a week later to elect the party's two deputy leaders - one for parliamentary affairs and the other for party affairs. The current holder of the former post, Dr George Vella, has announced he would not be seeking re-election, and Dr Joe Brincat, the other deputy leader, still has to decide. Nominations for the two posts will be received on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Replying to questions by Ivan Camilleri on Radio Malta yesterday, Dr Sant said he was convinced that with him at helm, the MLP would win the next general election.

He said he felt that in the circumstances, he was the best leader the party could have, adding that he was sure the other two contenders felt the same about themselves.

Dr Sant insisted that the government had lost the EU membership referendum of March 8. He said there was "manipulation by the media to scare people after Labour proclaimed a victory for partnership" and at the election, people voted for both the PN's programme as well as EU membership. The MLP would now respect the people's decision.

Dr Sant said the MLP called on people to celebrate the victory for partnership when he saw "signs of elation at the Ta' Qali counting hall" where the referendum votes were being counted.

"The Nationalist Party was manoeuvring to stimulate manifestations on the streets, so the MLP mobilised its people.

Dr Sant said that considering that "the media were against the MLP" and the "large amounts of money" spent by the government and the Yes campaign, and that the election was fought on the same issues as the referendum, the MLP "did not fare badly at all".

"In the referendum, we made a miracle and in the election we remained solid and coherent, despite the defeat," he said.

Dr Sant said the MLP was a strong party and would work to ensure that the "minority would be respected and this will eventually become a majority".

"We have to accept new realities and make the most of the benefits the EU will present and lessen the difficulties that stem out of EU membership," he added.

Dr Sant said he wanted to declare he would be stepping down on the same day the election was lost but was advised not to because it would have been a shock for supporters.

"To me it was clear I had to assume responsibility. But I decided to wait to see what the reactions would be. Then I had a lot of calls and letters of support, and when I analysed them I did not want to seem obstinate so I said I would consider the appeals that were being made," he said.

Dr Sant said most of the appeals made came from the mind, not just from the heart, so he decided to contest again.

Asked about Manwel Cuschieri's phone-in programme on Super One radio, in which the Labour leader was repeatedly eulogised, Dr Sant said this did not affect him as he did not hear the programme.

"If these were not made on Cuschieri's programme, they would have been made elsewhere," he said.

Asked whether he had changed his opinion not to contest because former deputy leader for party affairs Dr George Abela was interested, Dr Sant said he did not want to comment "about speculation".

Asked about the party's finances, Dr Sant said the MLP's balance sheet showed that in the past few years "the party had fared better".

During his interview, Dr Farrugia said the MLP lost the election both because of the EU issue as well as because "the people chose the party with more credibility.

"The MLP was not so credible in the last election. Our leadership style led us here. The MLP had good players but wrong tactics," he said.

Dr Farrugia said it was a mistake to go to an election "saying we will hold another referendum, after having said we had won the referendum. These were mistakes which the PN capitalised on."

The MLP had delayed taking a decision on the VAT issue and this had harmed the party's credibility. Dr Farrugia said he had long argued about this within the party structure, but when the party decided otherwise, he had to abide by its decision.

Dr Farrugia said the MLP's U-turn in the last days of the campaign on a Minister for Gozo was "unexpected and made at the wrong time. It was almost an insult."

Dr Farrugia said he did not believe that a leader should lead by having cliques as these become "aggressive and omnipotent." He also disagreed with the domination of the party's media by "certain people".

Dr Farrugia said if he became party leader, he would co-operate with everyone "but the direction would be clear".

"It is up to delegates to decide whether they want to continue dreaming that you can win without changing," he said.

Until yesterday morning, pressure was still being put on Dr Abela to contest. But several MPs and party officials, some of whom are contesting the deputy leadership, who had promised their allegiance to Dr Abela, failed to make their support for him public.

Several Labour supporters were disappointed by the lack of open support for Dr Abela by party officials and MPs who had pledged their support.

Charles Mizzi, a regular contributor to the GWU newspapers, recently said on Joe Grima Live on Net TV that he felt there should be a change in leadership and that the majority of Labourites wanted it too, but the party delegates were not reflecting the supporters' wishes.