News • November 16 2003

Sant’s hands are tied in new administration

On the outside it may seem as if the new Labour administration and national executive are a united front, but just below the surface party delegates can spot a game of alliances, which sees Alfred Sant in a weakened position.
Deputy leader Michael Falzon leads a strong alliance that includes secretary general Jason Micallef, deputy president Louis Gatt, president Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi and education secretary Aleks Farrugia.
Alfred Sant can rely on the loyalty of treasurer Tommy Dimech, who only managed to pip Michael Falzon’s man, Ray Sillato, by a mere six votes at the recent administrative elections. Dr Sant may also find loose support in the likes of deputy leader Charles Mangion, International secretary Joe Mifsud and party whip Joe Mizzi.
The other member of the administration, Ray Azzopardi, TV presenter cum public relations nice guy, appears to be getting closer to the Michael Falzon clan by the minute, but is walking a tight rope.
The situation in the administration and national executive has led many a delegate to say that Alfred Sant’s hands are now tied.

The revelation, explained in some detail to MaltaToday this week, led Jason Micallef to tell the party executive that he knew of a fax that was sent to Maltatoday. Micallef told the executive he knew who the person that sent the fax was.
"I have a copy of the fax that was sent to MaltaToday, it was sent from the party HQ." Jason Micallef told an executive who reacted to the announcement with theatrical applause.
Reacting to the news, the MaltaToday editor denied that a fax from the MLP HQ was sent to this newspaper and said that last week’s revelations were only carried after investigations by the MaltaToday news team.
In an apparent move to have control over some of the party’s armoury, Alfred Sant has moved in to replace former Secretary General Jimmy Magro’s campaign co-ordinator Claude Falzon by installing Joe Mifsud, the newly elected International secretary.
In the meantime more evidence seems to have surfaced about irregularities that may have been the responsibility of outgoing officials at the Mile End. But MaltaToday could not confirm whether any action is to be taken.
The party is still reeling after its national conference was painted in public as a breakthrough. In reality the sequel to the merger of the two motions for whom Michael Falzon gladly happened to take most of the credit failed to highlight that Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici’s unexpected climb down led to a very strained show down with il-Perit.
It appears that after Dr Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici’s decision to soften his stand, he met il-Perit, the former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff. Not much is known about the encounter, but what is sure is that Dr Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici chose not to vote during the Sunday conference together with 220 other delegates. Only three days earlier 870 delegates had voted. On Sunday only 668 turned up to vote. Many consider their absence as tantamount to a vote of no confidence in the merged resolution.
In reality the final motion appears to have garnered just under 75 per cent of the conference’s support. Significantly high in terms of changing political positioning, but realistically damaging to Sant’s standing.