The importance of moving on

The election has been rightly described by many as "extraordinary". This arises from the fact that through the medium of the vote, each and every one of us had an important choice to make. This choice was not simply related to a determination of which political grouping was to lead the administration of this country in the coming years. Rather, the vote was to be the final determination as to the foreign policy direction this country was to take in the immediate future. In short, the people had to make a choice between membership and a partnership relationship, short of membership, with the European Union.

The people have decided. By favouring the Nationalist Party's electoral programme, the majority of the Maltese electorate have expressed a clear preference for Malta's membership of the European Union. This decision has to be respected by one and all!

Now that the dice have been cast, it is obvious we in the Labour Party have some soul-searching to do. Not only must we analyse the electoral result in an effort to determine the strengths and, perhaps more importantly, the weaknesses of our strategy but, more urgently, we need to take important decisions as to where we are to go from here. The MLP has always been a forward-looking party and this, albeit difficult, time should be no exception.

In this respect, it is indeed praiseworthy that Alfred Sant, as leader of the party, has taken the difficult but, in my opinion, inevitable decision to make way for fresh blood at the helm of the party. In so doing, Dr Sant is once again giving concrete evidence of his honourable character. He is, as always, putting the party's interest before his own.

Replacing a party leader is never an easy task. As happened in the days when former leaders Dom Mintoff and Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici relinquished their posts, many, particularly at grassroot level, are saddened by this decision. This is understandable since for most Labourites, the party leader is not just a political figure. He is much more. To an extent he becomes one of the inner family. He is loved as much as, if not more, than he is respected. This, of course, makes it all the more difficult for such people to come to terms with the fact that a leader feels his time at the helm is up and decides to call it quits.

It is this fact that leads to the human and completely understandable reaction evidenced in many Labourites in the days following Dr Sant's announcement. It is an undisputed fact that many Labourites do not want Dr Sant to leave his post, irrespective of this electoral defeat. Labourites are at the moment doubly hurt. Already in pain after the electoral defeat, they have had to face the added pain caused by Dr Sant's departure. It is against this perspective that most calls being made for Dr Sant to reconsider his position are to be interpreted. They love him too much to let go of him!

Albeit understandable, this remains a reaction based on emotion. Unfortunately, however, in politics there is very limited space for emotion. Politics is a sphere of life where difficult decisions need to be taken and the best decisions are based on crude logic and not on emotion. Dr Sant knows this very well and it is, I believe, because of this that he has willingly volunteered his departure.

The fact remains that the party is today in opposition, having lost the past two general elections with large margins. The party needs to move on. It needs to restructure, to recapture the spirit of 1996, which brought it to a landslide victory at the polls. As Dr Sant himself had shown after his election to the party leadership in 1992, such a restructuring can only take place with new people, bringing in fresh ideas, at the helm.

This, however, is not to imply that we Labourites are to forget all the good things Dr Sant has brought to the MLP during the past decade of his leadership. Were we to do so we would indeed be ungrateful and unworthy of such a leader. Indeed, how can we ever forget the feeling of 1996 and Labour's electoral victory? How can one fail to thank Dr Sant enough for his vision and determining effort which enabled the party to build its present headquarters in Hamrun or its popular media, including Super 1 Television, KullHadd and Maltastar.com?

Thus, at this very difficult time for us Labourites, let us all unite in profoundly thanking Dr Sant for all his past efforts. Let us, at the same time, also promise our new leaders, whoever these may be, that they will find us at one with them, ever ready to promote the party's ideals, programmes and policies among the people, in the best interest of the party itself, the workers and, above all, our beloved country.

Mr Grech contested the last general election on behalf of the MLP.