News • 11 May 2003

Panic in Sant camp as cracks begin to appear

Leadership candidates confirmed: Alfred Sant, Anglu Farrugia, John Attard Montalto

Kurt Sansone

Despite enjoying almost cult status in the Labour Party Alfred Sant has been doing the rounds among party delegates ahead of next Thursday’s leadership vote. Party delegates, who will ultimately decide the leadership contest, are interpreting Sant’s move as a sign of panic.

The Labour leader confirmed that he was visiting the Labour Party clubs in an interview yesterday with PBS journalist Ivan Camilleri on Radio Malta.

Sant said he wanted the opportunity to meet delegates ahead of Thursday’s vote just like the other contenders were doing.

Sant is expected to win the race but his vote is not expected to be higher than 75 percent, a far cry from the almost 100 per cent approval in the 1998 post-election general conference.

Some delegates are also estimating that Sant’s approval might dip below the 70 per cent mark.

The other contenders for the post of leader, Anglu Farrugia and John Attard Montalto are also campaigning heavily among party delegates and although they are not collaborating their combined vote may dent the future status of Alfred Sant.

The three leadership contenders submitted their nominations over the past two days and, as widely expected there will be no more contestants.

In 1998, Anglu Farrugia had contested Dr George Vella for the post of deputy leader and the Mosta lawyer managed a creditable 28 per cent of the vote.

Delegates speaking to MaltaToday said Sant does not enjoy wide ranging support among delegates hailing from the second and third districts. These delegates form the bulwark of Labour’s hardcore vote and the most likely to have felt the pinch of Alfred Sant’s brief stint in government.

Delegates added that the grudge against Sant also stems from the fact that he did not give enough importance to visiting the dockyard in the past few years despite the troubles that saw the yards plunge into multiple controversy.

Hard-core Labourites are estimated to form 70 per cent of the party delegates with moderates making up the other 30 per cent.

The Workers’ Day demonstration in Valletta was viewed by many as the launch pad for Alfred Sant’s re-election campaign as party leader. Sant used the event to announce his intention of contesting and carefully used his speech to spell out his vision for the party in the year’s to come.

However, the event was orchestrated with people distributing posters among the crowd asking Alfred Sant to stay on as leader.

Despite the closing of ranks among Sant’s clan not all is well in the Labour Party with a veritable split looking ever more likely if Sant and the current administration stay on.

The first signs of internal trouble appeared two weeks ago when Manwel Cuschieri, a faithful follower of Sant, was stopped from transmitting his twice-daily radio programme. Cuschieri was using his programme to drum up support for Alfred Sant with one caller after the other asking the leader to stay on.

But Cuschieri’s stoppage was not a decision taken lightly. It is understood that people opposing Sant’s camp put a lot of pressure on the party administration to stop Cuschieri from broadcasting his programme.

Party delegates confirmed that despite sending numerous SMS messages in favour of change at the helm of the party, Cuschieri chose to heavily outbalance his programmes in favour of Alfred Sant.

The interdict put on Cuschieri until the leadership contests are over is seen by many as a significant victory for those clamouring for change in the party.

Another sign of brewing discontent came on Friday when three Labour mayors and 20 councillors wrote to MLP secretary general Jimmy Magro appealing for urgent change and restructuring in the party.

The letter comes weeks after a similar letter sent to Alfred Sant by other Labour Party mayors asking the leader to reconsider his decision not to contest the post.