Editorial

Ever since the defeat it suffered at the EU referendum and the general election that followed soon after in 2003, the Malta Labour Party has been in one form of travail or another. Alfred Sant's decision, in the light of the two defeats, to step down as leader was followed by another decision, not to resign. Instead, we had the cosmetic election of two new deputy heads, Charles Mangion and Michael Falzon, and indications that Dr Sant's wings were clipped.

These indications have turned out to be wrong, but not as incorrect as all that. The suspension from the party by the Malta Labour Party's vigilance board of Joe Zrinzo, secretary of the party's 12th district and a member of the party's executive committee, has led observers of the political scene to conclude that there is more to this than a mere suspension of a minor official. For Mr Zrinzo also happens to be the father of Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, who is currently the party's president.

The allegation being investigated by the vigilance board is that Joe Zrinzo and Steve McCarthy, chairman of the GWU-owned Union Print, undermined the party leader. They are alleged to have proposed to George Vella that he was the person who was capable of gathering behind him the majority of party delegates and wresting the leadership from Dr Sant.

Why this should be in breach of political ethics, as the vigilance board is maintaining, is difficult to understand in an open society. That it is to the disadvantage of Dr Sant's position and a grave discomfort to the party's leader cannot be gainsaid but that is another matter.

But behind-the-scenes manoeuvring, whether to oust a leader or to promote one, are a staple part of the diet in political life.

Ask Tony Blair, whose camp was involved in a bust-up with that of Gordon Brown over his continued leadership of the Labour Party. Conservative leaders have many stories to tell of back-stabbing.

More worrying in the context of a political party that constantly asks for transparency was the apparent reluctance of the vigilance board to give Mr Zrinzo the chance to defend himself before it took the decision to suspend him from all party activities.

There is more to this story than meets the eye. The situation may not be as drastic as the Nationalist Party's media makes it out to be. The thrust there is that a struggle is going on within the Labour Party between two factions, one loyal to Dr Sant, another to Dr Falzon.

Whatever the truth of that line of thought, it is obvious to all that this entire episode suggests there are strong under-currents operating within the Labour Party.

That such strong measures have been taken is an indication of how precarious the situation has come to be viewed - and how sensitive.

What may have brought all this to the fore is a growing concern among many Labour Party supporters that with Dr Sant at the helm, the party stands little or no chance of beating the Nationalists at the next election, even though, for various reasons, Labour may have an edge over the PN in the popularity polls at present. These Labour Party supporters argue - quite correctly too - that the Nationalists have enough time to recuperate from the losses incurred in the European Parliamentary and local council elections.