Sant says he will negotiate partnership within 18 months

Labour leader Alfred Sant yesterday refused to specify what he would do with Malta's European Union membership application if he were returned to power at the April 12 election.

Malta is on the threshold of joining the EU on May 1, 2004, with nine other acceding countries.

"A new Labour government will respect the resounding majority of the electorate who opted not to say yes to membership," he said, sticking by his widely rejected interpretation of Saturday's referendum result. He did not elaborate.

However, the term "partnership" seems to have suddenly disappeared from Dr Sant's vocabulary. Instead, Dr Sant has embarked on the electoral campaign preferring instead to focus on the theme "A better future - you come first".

When asked about this at a press conference, Dr Sant laughed and said: "Isn't it obvious that the partnership concept has been embedded and interwoven into our policies for a better future?"

Dr Sant said he would negotiate a "partnership" agreement with the EU in between a year and 18 months.

His timeframe for negotiating such an agreement has shrunk every time he comments on it. Just last week he said it would take two years while, last month, he said it could take up to 10 years to negotiate the "partnership" agreement.

Flanked by party deputy leaders George Vella and Joe Brincat, Dr Sant criticised an "out of date government" that had broken its promises.

Addressing a rally at the party headquarters in the evening Dr Sant appeared to be changing his tactic and mentioned "partnership" as the better option, both on a national and international level.

Dr Sant reiterated that the government did not have the majority of the country behind it in its bid for membership.

"Even if you remove the people who died since the last electoral register was published and even if you exclude Nanna Olga - she has nothing to do with it, miskina - there is still no majority in favour of EU membership," he said.

Just 24 hours earlier, Dr Sant had "welcomed" to his fold Mrs Olga Cauchi, the bedridden grandmother of a journalist, who was unable to vote.

Both speeches were loaded with claims of a government run by ministers who were caught up in the web of "friends of friends" and the vicious circle of "cliques".

"The Labour Party is not promising heaven on earth. Instead, we are offering tailor-made proposals for new opportunities which will give a new injection of life to the economy," he said.

Dr Sant also said that taxes imposed by this government were demoralising several families who continued to see the cost of living go up.

He also said that job security was on the line as a result of Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami's "failure to attract new investment to the country".

Dr Sant said a new Labour government would offer "a hand of friendship" to all those who had the national interest at heart and wanted to see the island stand on its own two feet.

Dr Sant urged on the crowd at the rally to meet at the granaries in Floriana on Sunday and called on those who did not heed the party's advice on the referendum to "return to the fold" where they would rediscover their Labour roots.