Labour supporters urged to vote in euro elections

Now that the "celebrations were over", it was time for the government to start facing up to the crisis, Labour leader Alfred Sant said yesterday said.

"Start rolling up your sleeves and get to work," Dr Sant urged the Nationalists during a rally of the MLP's women's section.

The rally was highlighted by a unanimous appeal from the speakers to Labour supporters to go out and vote in June's European elections.

During his address, Dr Sant barely made reference to his newl elected political adversary Lawrence Gonzi. Although he congratulated Dr Gonzi for his election to the new post, Dr Sant said the 50-year old lawyer was not as "new" as the PN was portraying him.

Now that the commotion of the election of a new PN leader was over, Dr Sant said it was time for the government to wake up to face the economic and social crisis. Unemployment was up, new investment was non-existent, and economic forecasts were poor.

EU membership would bring no manna from heaven but merely a set of regulations by which Malta had to abide.

Dr Sant spoke at length about what he described as the "deficit" of female participation across all sectors of society. One way to overcome this problem was by establishing quotas for women, a policy often adopted in other European countries.

"It's time to give a voice to those who don't have one," Dr Sant said.

Seven of the eight candidates contesting on the MLP ticket for the June election also addressed those present as they underlined the need for Labour supporters to realise the importance of voting.

The MLP's pre-election anti-EU stand on EU membership has meant that several party supporters have expressed their unwillingness to vote.

Particularly emotional was the intervention made by Labour MP John Attard Montalto, who did not mince his words.

"If you vote in the June elections you are not voting for the EU, but for the Labour Party. This is us against them," he said.

Dr Attard Montalto urged supporters to realise the sweet taste of revenge if the Labour candidates polled more votes than the Nationalists in June - just a year after the PN swept to power.