NEWS | Wednesday, 29 October 2008

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Joseph Muscat facing challenge over Piscopo’s role

Labour leader Joseph Muscat is facing a major concerted challenge to his power, as he gets ready to push through a motion that will institute the new post of party manager in Labour’s statute.
Muscat needs delegates’ support at the next general conference to officialise the post, which he gave to trusted confidant James Piscopo.
But he faces mounting opposition from delegates who feel Piscopo’s role has undercut secretary-general Jason Micallef.
Muscat appointed the unknown Piscopo to run the party’s day-to-day affairs, after Jason Micallef was re-elected to the post of secretary-general.
Although widely expected to step down after Labour’s electoral loss in March, and even publicly called upon to resign by veteran MPs who supported Muscat’s leadership bid, Micallef stayed on to win re-election.
In the aftermath, Joseph Muscat attempted to counter the Micallef factor by cordoning off part of the secretary-general’s role, and appointing James Piscopo to run the party’s day-to-day affairs.
Both party lieutenants are now in open conflict, bad-mouthing each other in the presence of other officials and soldiers.
Micallef is reportedly garnering support across local party clubs, which will elect their delegates to send to the party general conference, who will vote over Piscopo’s position, as well as whether to open up the delegates’ vote to all paid-up party members.
Sources say Micallef has already ‘clinched’ localities like Attard, Mosta, Naxxar, Lija, Bahrija, Senglea, Dingli, Floriana, Mellieha, Hal Ghaxaq, Mqabba, Qrendi and Zurrieq.
In Mosta, a block vote for candidates pushed by deputy leader Anglu Farrugia failed to elect any members to stave off Micallef supporters.
In Naxxar, Micallef is expected to count on the support of 11 delegates, while in Attard, a block vote pushed by Farrugia once again failed to destabilise Micallef’s own block vote. Farrugia’s own partner in his legal firm, Edward Gatt, did not even get elected.
Even though Piscopo has the full backing of Joseph Muscat, he is still viewed as an unelected official with little clout. The rift was instantly exposed at Muscat’s swearing-in as Opposition leader, when Micallef desisted from handling the live transmission of the ceremony, by forcing Piscopo to get directly involved in the matter, with mediocre results.

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