Labour's yeast and Malta's leaven

The Malta Labour Party's stock is stale and flat; the party is not being led. In fact, its grassroots are being misled; misled into thinking that today's trio are the answer to yesterday's threesome.

And the grey shadow of Labour's lost leader, Dominic Mintoff, still lurks, increasing the sense of helpless floundering that the whole party structure is unable to shrug off, try though it does.

Labour is badly in need for a yeast that will make it rise from its deadening flatness and wake up to the realities and requirements of a Malta that cries out loud for strong, purposeful but also compassionate, leadership, from whoever can provide it, or from wherever it may appear.

Labour's current trio are not the answer. The actual leader's sell-by date was reached at referendum time and definitely went overboard at election time. Alfred Sant uncharacteristically proceeded to try to extend his shelf-life but has caused the party to flounder around helplessly yet more, despite two new props, acting as bookends, and who, like their predecessors, attempt to shore up his leadership.

He is now like a beached whale, causing his party to continue to flounder aimlessly and hopelessly with no hope whatsoever of successfully turning round the party's fortunes.

So the present lame-duck leader must go; and in his place, where could Labour locate the yeast that would cause it to rise again and inspire its grassroots, and the whole country, with fresh vision and strong sense of purpose and well-being?

But there is within, or on the periphery of Labour's fold, the man who could provide the uplift and enlightenment that Labour needs so that it could once more be a party to be reckoned with and well able to provide the alternative government that any democracy requires and more so now as Eddie Fenech Adami rides into the sunset.

That man is George Abela, forged, tried, tested and found capable. He can be Labour's yeast, to raise the party from its current misery to one that will proceed to win elections and provide competent professional government, compassionate but determined, ready to take those decisions and actions the country so needs, including, if necessary, committing to a government of national unity to unravel various threatening factors to the nation's livelihood.

His credentials are known, indeed to many they are next to impeccable. Yes, he would be his party's yeast and he could well also turn out to be Malta's leaven.