Editorial

Never has the Labour Party been as confused in its thinking as it is today. It is changing course from one moment to another, contradicting itself in the process and giving the strong impression it has not done its homework properly as a party aspiring to power should at all times. Worse, it is failing to assess the pulse of the country.

Take, for instance, the Labour leader's "new" idea of wanting to forge an alliance with the country's creative forces if it is returned to power. What exactly does he mean? For if the idea - now fast becoming a mantra - is to be taken at face value, one finds it difficult to see how this is possible at all in today's circumstances. Why? Because how can a party harness the country's creative forces if these forces do not agree with the party on such a most fundamental matter as membership in the European Union?

Let us take the argument further. This is what Alfred Sant was reported as saying on March 5: "There is the need for a new alliance with the creative forces in the country. They may not agree with the MLP on membership but once the general election gives the leadership to the MLP, we would be prepared to work hand in hand with them in a social alliance to get the country back on its feet and focus on the national needs".

Practically all the organisations in Malta, 31 of them, have been telling the Labour Party they do not agree with its policy of being against membership in the European Union. All of them, except, of course, the General Workers' Union, feel that for the island to move ahead both economically and socially, it would be better for Malta to join the EU.

Again, how can the Labour Party work hand in hand with these forces when it disagrees with them in so fundamentally important a matter as EU membership? We are not talking here about the design of a building or whether or not we need more golf courses, but about the island's direction, about its future as a member of an expanding European Union in a globalised world.

Just before the March 8 referendum, the 31 organisations joined forces with the government in a national drive to emphasise the importance of the island joining the EU. There had never been such an occasion before when so many organisations felt the need to back the government in a particular campaign. They did so because they all realised that joining the EU is the best road for Malta to take.

And to remove any shadow of doubt about how they felt about the issue, the 31 organisations again confirmed their stand after the March 8 referendum, in which the majority of the people voted in favour of membership. But the Labour Party does not seem to be realising the significance of what has happened.

Playing down these organisations' affirmation of their total belief in EU membership will not win it any votes.

To make matters even more difficult now, the Labour Party is proposing to hold a referendum on the membership/partnership issue if it is returned to power, a proposal constituted bodies reject.

For the Labour Party to be considered as an alternative government, it has first to reorganise itself and draw up credible proposals.