Labour leader Alfred Sant is unlikely to require radiotherapy or chemotherapy after having a malignant tumour removed from his colon during surgery on December 27, party sources have told The Sunday Times.
Dr Sant left hospital last Friday, a few days earlier than his surgeon Anthony Zammit had originally forecast.
The operation, in which a section of his colon was removed, had lasted three-and-a-half hours and doctors were immediately satisfied with the Opposition leader's progress.
There has been little infor-mation from the surgeon or the MLP about Dr Sant's condition - not even on the nature of the operation. Yet, in a news conference last Tuesday, Mr Zammit said the Opposition leader was likely to be able to deal with an electoral campaign by the end of the month.
He added, however, that he could only exclude the need for therapy after receiving the results of tests which were carried out after the operation.
Party sources could not confirm whether the test results, which are also being analysed in the UK, were available yet.
But it is known that the initial results had shown that the tumour was not in an advanced state of development and therefore radiation or chemotherapy was considered unlikely.
In the meantime, the party continued with the business-as-usual approach it has adopted since the operation, erecting new billboards which follow Labour's 'New Beginning' electoral theme. Last Wednesday, in his first column in The Times since his operation, Dr Sant himself was critical of the Government on the euro.
When contacted yesterday, Nationalist Party general secretary Joe Saliba said the PN would get into political gear tomorrow. "We customarily take a break from political activity from the day after the fund-raising campaign up till the feast of the Three Kings.
"What is known as the 'pre-electoral campaign' will start now. The Labour party has started it and in our case it will start as from (tomorrow). Even if the election is held at a later stage, the engines will start being fired up now."
Asked whether Dr Sant's condition had derailed the Nationalists' electoral strategy, given that much of it was honed specifically on the Opposition leader's persona, Mr Saliba said the comparison between Lawrence Gonzi and Alfred Sant was being made by the electorate and not just the PN.
"As is the case in any other democracy, (the eletorate) evaluates the best party to lead the country but also who is the best prime minister. We were using this comparison and I feel that we should keep using it because ultimately people will have to choose between parties and between prospective prime ministers."
Mr Saliba said the comparison should be on who has the best policies, the best vision and is the most qualified to govern.
"And that remains a valid comparison," he insisted.