Muscat gave blessing to ‘diabolical pact’ in meeting with Abela, Fearne and Borg

The diabolical pact: Muscat would have left last Thursday, Chris Fearne would have taken his place and Ian Borg and Robert Abela would have been deputy leaders

The triumvirate: through an internal democratic process, either Chris Fearne (left) or Robert Abela (right) would take the incumbent Prime Minister's seat
The triumvirate: through an internal democratic process, either Chris Fearne (left) or Robert Abela (right) would take the incumbent Prime Minister's seat

A so called ‘diabolical pact’ denounced by Labour MP Robert Abela before he announced his candidature for Labour leader and Prime Minister was a deal that would have seen Joseph Muscat resign from office last Thursday so deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne would automatically take his place.

Newspaper Illum revealed how Labour MP Robert Abela and Ministers Chris Fearne and Ian Borg met with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat after he announced to them his intention to resign.

During the meeting, Muscat approved of an understanding, or a pact, whereby Fearne would automatically take his place. As part of this agreement, Transport Minister Ian Borg and Abela would take their place as new deputy leaders. 

This would have seen Muscat’s resignation take place last Thursday and Fearne installed as the new Prime Minister, a deal that did not go down well with Abela.

This means that Muscat intended to leave his post before 12 January due to pressures within the Cabinet, incessant protests calling for his stepping down, and pressure from the European Union.

Soon after Fearne announced his candidature on social media, most of the Labour MPs expressed their support, saying that Fearne was a legitimate and logical follow-up to Muscat’s unsettled reign. Ian Borg too, who himself had been mulling over contesting for a leadership role, succumbed to expressing his approval of Fearne.

Labour activists, however, took to social media to express their desire for a democratic process whereby they would have a say on who the next Prime Minister would be. 

In the midst of this and after a meeting with Fearne, Abela chose to contest. 

While Abela seems to enjoy the sympathy of many Labour activists and party members, Fearne is slated to be leading the race.