MLP marks Freedom Day but Dom Mintoff stays away

If there was any doubt that Labour supporters still harboured a soft spot for former party leader Dom Mintoff, that doubt was gone as soon as his name was mentioned twice in succession during a Labour Party mass meeting in Vittoriosa yesterday.

Deafening applause met the mention of Mr Mintoff's name by Labour leader Alfred Sant twice in a row.

However, that brief mention was as far as a reported rapprochement between the two leaders went, although the party faithful had expected at least an appearance by Mr Mintoff as the two leaders were making approaches publicly in their meetings on the need to get all Labour supporters together to help win the April 12 general election.

Dr Sant left the crowd in suspense when at first he failed to mention Mr Mintoff as he was giving an overview of the country's history as an island fortress that had to fight the wars of its colonisers.

Dr Sant mentioned Mikiel Anton Vassalli and Manwel Dimech, both of whom had sown the seeds of nationalism but he stopped short of mentioning Mr Mintoff immediately after.

"Independence was not enough. And we wanted to move further ahead to bring freedom to the country to enable the country to decide its own future. This is what happened under a Labour government led by il-perit Duminku Mintoff.

"It is proper to honour those who had worked hard towards the attainment of freedom for Malta and it is proper to honour Dom Mintoff," Dr Sant said.

Earlier deputy leader George Vella, appealing to the grass roots sentiments of the Cottonera supporters, said that although the Labour party had moved away from its old headquarters at il-Macina, its heart was still at the Cottonera.

Dr Sant said that if those who had come before them, had not understood and gone through hardships, the country would not today be able to look forward to a better future.

The Labour party would confirm those beliefs to make the country a bridge of peace. Malta was proud of its neutrality.

"Freedom and neutrality and not only moral values will ensure that the country builds a better future".

The war with Iraq, where civilians and soldiers were dying could have been avoided. The war was the result of the lack of agreement between countries that had agreed to solve issues by other means.

Here Dr Sant called on the supporters to observe a minute's silence in honour of those who have died and are dying, as well as a sign of protest against the war.

Reiterating that prime minister Eddie Fenech Adami had ignored the problems facing the country in his obsession to take Malta into the EU, Dr Sant claimed that in spite of the money the government had obtained from Brussels and the funds it collected locally to promote the EU referendum, the membership option had obtained only 48 per cent of the vote.

The last phase of the election battle was how the Labour party would be able to gain as many supporters as possible.

"We are promising an intensive programme of work according to a plan to take Malta out of the cul de sac that Dr Fenech Adami had led it into," Dr Sant said.

The Labour leader mentioned once again the way the party intended to boost the economy by giving a two month income tax holiday to all salaried workers; an income tax holiday of between five to 10 years for growers, herdsmen and fishermen; incentives for import and export oriented firms and the removal of the 15 per cent tax on collective investment schemes.

After the meeting, Dr Sant accompanied by Dr Vella and party affairs deputy leader Joe Brincat laid bouquets at the foot of the March 31, 1979 monument which marks the end of the British military presence in Malta.

The national colours were raised by Alfred Xuereb, who incidentally had raised the Maltese flag in the first ceremony marking this occasion in 1979.