Malta Today
This Week Sport News Personalities Local News Editorial Top News Front Page This Week Sport News Personalities Local News Editorial Top News Front Page This Week Sport News Personalities Local News Editorial Top News Front Page


SEARCH


powered by FreeFind

Malta Today archives


News • April 4 2004

Labour marches hesitantly on to June

Families are either hard-pressed for cash or else Labourites just cannot find enough inspiration to fire up their verve for the party. Despite the crowds that thronged the Birgu waterfront for Tuesday’s mass meeting, the Labour Party managed to collect a modest Lm50,000 in a 12-hour TV marathon on Wednesday.
At times the fund raising effort seemed to be struggling, even though a number of spot prizes were given out including a new car that was raffled towards the end of the programme.
The global amount collected on Freedom day by the MLP is anything but spectacular given the pitch used during the marathon to entice Labourites to donate cash and Party officials are putting on a brave face when expressing their satisfaction with the money collected. The telethon was part of the Party’s fund raising effort ahead of the European Parliament election campaign and a consistent build-up preceded it in the days before Freedom Day on Super One radio and TV.
But the failure to entice Labourites to donate cash for the forthcoming electoral appointments is a reflection of the prevailing sentiment among traditional core voters, who find it uncomfortable to vote in the EP election.
Party officials fear that a lukewarm reception by Labour voters for the EP election could seriously dent the MLP’s aspirations to win two or three seats out of five, despite polls indicating that Labour is currently ahead of the Nationalist Party in popular support.
Labour’s woes are linked to the changed position on European Union membership. The party general conference has given a strong and definite signal that membership is here to stay, but the message has not filtered down to the grass roots.
To compound matters, middle of the road voters realising that the Nationalist Party has overstayed its place in power, are not yet fully convinced of Labour’s newly-found vocation, receiving mixed messages on where the party stands on Europe.
Even those who have come round to accepting the new position adopted by the Party after last year’s election, do so with big reservations.
Alfred Sant’s personal position on EU membership, born out of pragmatic considerations rather than anything else, does not help to convince Labourites to look at the EU in a different light. Images of the God forbid attitude adopted before the election are still fresh in people’s minds.
Things are not being made easier for Labour moderates who are at the helm of the administration with former prime ministers Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici and Dom Mintoff fanning the fire.
There was a cautious attempt at a rapprochement between the Labour Party and Dom Mintoff in the days leading up to Freedom Day. A historic documentary, an initiative taken by Secretary General Jason Micallef, focussing on the events that led to 31 March 1979 was well-received by the grass roots. It portrayed Mintoff in all his glory, depicting the significant achievements of the country between 1955 and 1979.
But the Old Lion is not one to flirt with. On Wednesday his Front Maltin Inqumu went solo with a meeting in front of the Palace in Valletta. Mintoff attacked Alfred Sant on the Labour Party’s decision not to boycott Eddie Fenech Adami’s nomination for President.
Mintoff’s words might have rung a bell with hard core voters but irked others, who see him as a spoke in Labour’s wheels.
Rising unemployment, reforms in government-owned companies and a cranking economy have given Labour a political platform to reach out to people. But internal confusion may still hamper the Party’s chances at the polls in June.
Joe Debono Grech’s EP candidature was a last minute effort to entice the hard core to go out and vote. Both deputy leaders have been repeatedly emphasising the need for Labourites to vote in the June election. Another defeat would demoralise the Labour lot and should it happen, Sant’s job at the top may come in for some serious flack both internally and externally.

 

 

 

 





Newsworks Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 02, Malta
E-mail: maltatoday@newsworksltd.com