Labour Party congress signals general election is round the corner

The Labour Party is convening its congress on Sunday for a week-long event in what is the strongest signal yet that the general election is round the corner.

The event is significant because the PL statute lays down that the congress, a gathering of delegates, officials and members, shall meet to elect the party leader and before a general election to discuss the manifesto guidelines. The statute also allows the party’s executive to convene the congress for any other reason it deems fit.

Given that the PL has no vacancy at the top and there is no big internal emergency that could trigger the need for a congress to be convened, the only other plausible reason is because a general election is in the offing.

Sunday’s activity at the Ta’ Ċenċ Hotel in Gozo has been billed as a ‘discussion with the prime minister’, with the theme Malta Aqwa (A Greater Malta). The party is inviting people to ‘write the next chapter’. Abela used the slogan ‘Malta Aqwa’ on Sunday 22 March when he told supporters they will know what it means when the electoral manifesto is eventually revealed.

The advert for Sunday's event with the prime minister, forming part of the Labour Party congress

But another sign of an impending election is the sheer number of billboards the PL has put up across Malta. Most billboards were blank this morning but others are advertising the party’s communication channels, particularly its news portal thejournal.mt and its latest offering, Dean Hili’s podcast.

The question is when will the prime minister make the formal announcement. If Abela chooses the coming Sunday (12 April) or Monday 13 April, the day parliament reconvenes after the Easter holidays, the earliest the election can be held is Saturday 16 May. He can also opt for a longer election campaign (41 days) and hold the election on Saturday 23 May.

If Abela chooses Sunday 19 April, the last day of the congress, to make the announcement in full fanfare, the earliest the election can be held is Saturday 23 May.

Sources within the party, who spoke to MaltaToday on condition of anonymity, said the prime minister has ruled out the two other plausible options for an election—30 May and 6 June—because a key official crucial to the electoral process will be unavailable.

So far, everything is pointing towards a 23 May election, unless Abela decides to postpone the roadshow altogether until 2027.