Labour Party general secretary Jason Micallef is on a roll. Since he assumed office, the MLP has won two local elections and one European election. Leaks, policy changes and Alfred Sant's apparent lack of charisma will not derail the party from the road to victory, he tells Herman Grech.
The Nationalists performed badly in the local council elections before winning the general election of 2003. Are you keeping your feet on the ground after the Labour Party's last election victories?
I'm convinced we lost the last general election simply because of the EU issue. After that election, the MLP renewed its foreign policy and its administration and we won three successive elections.
If we include Marsa and Zejtun in the last round of local council elections, the MLP would have won by 57 per cent of the total vote - no mean feat for a sample of 90,000. That's why I'm optimistic that the Labour Party will win the upcoming general election, though, of course, we still need to work.
How can the electorate be convinced of a party which has performed a U-turn on practically every major policy - be it the EU, VAT or local council participation?
I disagree that we've performed U-turns. A political party is alive and the MLP always goes before a general conference whenever it has to decide on policy and national issues.
Of course, if you take the issue of local councils, I still maintain that had we kept politics out of it we would have been far better off. In our case, it's the general conference that decides the way forward, unlike the Nationalists where it is the administration or the 50 people of the administrative council that do so - that is a most undemocratic system. So if you accuse us of U-turns, does it mean 900 people in our general conference are making U-turns?
Do you believe a party should be guided by strong principles?
Absolutely.
So wasn't the revision of the MLP's position on the EU simply a very convenient move to lure votes?
I disagree. Basic principles are important and the Labour Party has prided itself on them. But a party would be foolish if it ignores the signs of the times and the writing on the wall.
It was the general conference which decided that a general election should dictate the party's final position on the EU. We had to accept the people's verdict and that is what we did. Irrespective of the stands taken in the past, it would have been stupid if we hadn't taken note of the pulse of the people.
Will your party use political reform and the switch to the euro as political weapons in the next election?
There's an internal discussion going on and we will be publishing specific documents on both issues once they are sanctioned by the parliamentary group. We are also issuing policy documents for each economic sector, which follows up the economic regeneration document. It's premature to discuss the electoral campaign.
But wouldn't it be contradictory for the MLP to say the EU is no longer a topic of debate but still latching on to the euro issue - knowing full well that we have to join the currency now that we are members?
The MLP doesn't intend to emulate the PN and ignore the bad things associated with the EU. Our MPs do not hesitate to work to quell the problems caused by EU membership and exploit the advantages.
What changes have you brought to your party?
I don't like boasting about my achievements. But I believe that in the last two years, we have proved that the party is fresh and modern. We've made major changes in the media. I believe we've relayed our message better.
A lot of people still believe the parties' media propaganda is hardly subtle.
The functions of Super 1 TV and radio are political. Yes, I do believe that you don't need to be partisan to put your message across. At the moment we're looking into whether the radio and TV should target the same kind of Labourite support. I admit that change isn't always easy.
We have some hardcore supporters who might not appreciate it if we soften the tone or if we eliminate phone-ins from every political programme. I have to admit, I'm not happy with some of the phone calls we get. And I will do my utmost to stop them.
Despite stating otherwise, the MLP hardly seems united and dissent seems to be ever present. The leaks confirm that. Does it worry you?
I don't want to ignore your question but where internal leadership issues of the party are concerned, they should remain internal.
The impression many people are getting is that the MLP is prepared to muzzle anyone that is out of line with the leadership.
One of the first things Alfred Sant did when he was elected leader was to set up a board of vigilance and discipline. When any member of the MLP believes he has concrete facts about a particular matter, the people concerned will be investigated by the autonomous board. This system has worked well.
The Nationalist Party doesn't have anything like it. In the PN, it's only a few people that decide who to sack and who they bar from contesting elections. While the PN handpicked its MEP candidates, it was the MLP's 900 delegates who decided on the choice of candidates.
Why did you ask the vigilance board to investigate the case of district committee secretary Joe Zrinzo who allegedly encouraged George Vella to challenge the party leader?
I repeat: That's an internal decision and I will definitely not reply to what is allegedly taking place within the board.
Has it strained the relationship between you and Mr Zrinzo's son, Stefan, who is the party president?
From my end, it certainly hasn't.
Don't tell me it's all plain business between you two. He must be upset by the fact that his father is being investigated.
I believe Stefan is professional enough to differentiate between his role as party president and the fact that his father has a case at the vigilance board.
The Nationalist Party is claiming that the MLP is upset at the fact that Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi has given comments to their media. Is it true?
I repeat. Every party official has to be responsible for his actions. Personally, I would never give il-Mument an interview.
Why?
I don't think il-Mument has any intention of interviewing me to improve the Labour Party's profile, but it would probably do so to wrong-foot the political adversary. I don't believe I should give them an interview on the internal leadership of my party.
Do you believe they managed to do this with Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi?
Stefan will reply to that question. My relationship with Stefan has not changed.
You said the party renewed itself after the last election but its leader Alfred Sant held on to his post. Is Dr Sant the right man to steer your party into office?
I've always believed in Alfred Sant's qualities and capabilities, especially when he was Prime Minister. Ultimately, what happened in 1998 was a very sad chapter for the country. A lot of people now tell us that if Dr Sant had been allowed to run the country for five to 10 years he would have controlled the deficit and healed the economy.
Malta needs an accountable manager who can deliver. The Cabinet is important, but it's up to its members to appoint top managers to set up their teams. For example, why has it always been a doctor to be given the all-important health ministry? Even if it is a doctor who is given the post, he ought to be surrounded by managers.
Maybe some people might argue that Dr Sant doesn't smile as much as Lawrence Gonzi. But what do people want? A politician who is capable of smiling in front for the cameras but is incompetent?
Do we want a Prime Minister who claims he is taking important decisions, only to appear helpless when faced with issues like Dar Malta in Brussels, Tal-Qroqq hospital, the Maghtab dump, the White Rocks, City Gate, terminal projects and so on. I respect Dr Gonzi as a person, but he lacks such skills. We can't either afford to have a Prime Minister who feels uncomfortable and ignores journalists who might be criticising him.
Are you saying charisma is not important in a party leader?
Dr Sant is going to lead the Labour Party to one of its biggest ever electoral victories. I'm convinced of that. My relationship with Dr Sant is very healthy. He is one of my best friends and the discussions we have prove to me that we need his managerial skills.
It's rather evident that the Nationalist Party has embarked on another campaign to demonise Alfred Sant - it is bent on portraying him as a person who can't smile and lacks sentiment. I can assure you that Dr Sant is a humble man with a lot of sentiment, and will do his utmost to help those that lag behind.
I admit that some people come up to me to say that he lacks charisma. Alfred Sant has heard this himself. I admit that if I, as general secretary, had to work on something then I would do my utmost to bring out his charisma in the open. When we're in private social activities, Dr Sant is the one cracking jokes.
Who stopped Manuel Cuschieri's radio programme?
Manuel Cuschieri's case is an internal matter. Manuel is a full-timer of the MLP and ultimately he has to abide by the regulations of the employers. There are internal changes taking place within the organisation - we've also appointed a new head of news at Super 1.
I wonder why hardly anybody asks about the internal matters of Where's Everybody, the organisation that claims to be carrying out investigative journalism. Whenever you try and look inside that organisation you're immediately shut out. You will never find out how much money they're squeezing out of PBS. Still, I respect and speak to all journalists...
...provided they don't work for il-Mument.
I will not speak to il-Mument if they ask me questions about the MLP's internal leadership. It's not the first time that I've granted interviews to the Nationalist media. I was the first general secretary of the Labour Party to accept an invitation to attend the PN's general council.
There have been several reports that the party's finances are in dire straits. Are you worried?
All political parties in Malta require massive funds to keep them going. We have TV stations, a radio, a newspaper and Maltastar.com, which will soon come back online.
The Labour national centre needs full-timers, part-timers and many volunteers. Unfortunately, volunteers are always hard to come by. Therefore, we rely on the donations of supporters, like the campaign coming up on September 21. Yes, there are financial difficulties.
The Nationalist Party has a travel agency, which yields a healthy cash injection. Does the MLP have any similar plans?
Yes, we're trying to embark on a number of possible money-spinning projects, but I can't reveal anything.