Voting for MEPs is no vote for Europe, Sant says

Urging supporters to vote in the European parliamentary elections, Labour Party leader Alfred Sant said that by voting in such elections people would not be declaring they are in favour of the EU.

Malta will have five seats in the European parliament and although it was not a big number it was still something and one should not leave the five seats all to the PN, he said.

Speaking at a party activity under a tent in Vittoriosa, Dr Sant said the MLP's candidates were not perfect "but perfection is only found in heaven".

Labourites should also vote in the local council elections as although sometimes "there were problems with change in some local councils, the only place without problems was the cemetery and the MLP was not yet thinking about having a local council there," he said.

Dr Sant said the country faced a challenge to create jobs but the problem was not just because of lack of new jobs but also because the government was failing to acknowledge there was a problem.

MLP deputy leader Charles Mangion said the people will remember Eddie Fenech Adami for leaving behind "a legacy of debt", the Labour Party's deputy leader, Charles Mangion, said yesterday.

Dr Mangion said Dr Fenech Adami, who is expected to step down tomorrow, would be leaving behind him a deficit of Lm175 million and a national debt of Lm1,300 million.

"Every person in Malta has another Lm4,000 debt to add to his/her other loans," Dr Mangion said.

He said there were a host of other negative things the people would remember Dr Fenech Adami for, including the three pardons (to Joseph Fenech).

Dr Mangion insisted that the change of PN leadership did not mean Malta had a new government and the people should not be swayed by the propaganda of the Nationalist Party.

"Both Lawrence Gonzi and the new deputy leader, Tonio Borg, were prominent ministers in the Fenech Adami Cabinet when the country's finances went haywire and when a host of other bad decisions were taken," he said.

"There is nothing new in the Nationalist Party. They are a recycled lot," Dr Mangion said. He urged Labourites to vote for MLP candidates in the European parliament elections and said those who did not vote would be irresponsible because the country needed Socialist Euro MPs.