
Wednesday, 30th April 2008 - 18:13CET
Mangion denies George Abela's 'presidency' claim
The Acting Leader of the Labour Party, Charles Mangion, this evening denied that any member of the party administration had urged Dr George Abela not to contest the leadership election, with a promise that he would instead be proposed by the party to become President of Malta.
Dr Abela made the claim when he spoke on the PBS programme Dissett yesterday.
Dr Mangion said he had consulted all the members of the party administration and he could confirm that no one from the current administration of the party had made such a proposal to Dr Abela.




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I maintain that it would be a big miss if Dr. George Abela experience and well-provened ability is given the sideline.
So far, Dr. Abela is like the tortoise in our childhood much known fable in his race against the rabbit. Let me concede that he is still a little bit behind, but certainly not due to incorrect behaviour but by a prejudice stigma against him.
But no one can forget what happened to the rabbit who was well ahead...he finished losing, and it was the tortoise who was first to cross the line.
Despite the race being almost five weeks away, Dr. Abela had managed to jump over a number of hurdles which certainly proves his qualities and characteristics. Come on George keep it up. The contenders will soon be reaching the straight and it is there where it counts, hoping always that whoever called upon to vote use his mind rather than his hear.
It's a word against a word and you know this perfectly well. NONE of us at home will ever know the truth - ie: if it has been said or not. People / readers just follow their instincts when it comes to what should they believe. Everyone should know this, especially you in politics. Look back to last election. What makes an MP lose popularity? What made Louis Galea lose popularity? People not involved in politics are intelligent too. Heal the wounds for the party's sake.
Is this the kind of mentality you are proposing to unite the party?
Dr Mangion used more or less the same strategy that was adopted by the MLP when a statement from the PN before the EU referendum claimed that certain MLP bigshots were in favour of the EU, but preferred to publicly tow the line with Sant' s over-our-dead-body opposition to it.. The bigshots were allegedly made to sign an affidavit that they were all for Switzerland-in-the-Med or Partnership - and the MLP assumed that this was the end of the story and no one doubted its version any longer!
Dr Mangion would have done well to steer clear from inflating this issue out of all proportions and making a mountain out of a molehill. Sane politics dictate that It would have been forgotten and dismissed within hours, but the MLP has only managed to perpetrate it and rekindle memories of the pre-EU referendum farce.
George Abela is stuck with the past, and would make more sense in planning his retirement and perhaps offer his services as an advisor to the new leader who would be younger and definitely forward looking.
@saviour cachia
Is this the way how to make a winning party, by dividing the party to be able to rule? Is Dr Abela a man of his word when published documents and several people are proving the opposite to what he`s saying in public?
`All this is possible if we are credible...` george abela said. But he has to be credible himself first and foremost!!!!!
I think there is a flaw in your arguement. On one hand you say the George Abela is the only one who can work with the Nationalists, Labourites and Moderates, and on the other hand you say that he is not managing to get the support of the Labour people. It seems that Abela is only managing to get the support of the definitely Nationalists but pretending to be moderates.
Like Dallas and Dynasty they have love/hate tangles between themselves that continue on and on!
Frankly I am not impressed by his debacle in the 2008 General Conference. If he really had the party at heart he would have made his views known that he was against the calling of an election at the Executive committee, and tried to convince Alfred Sant . But instead he voted in favour that the decision is taken by the General Conference and sprung the rabbit out of the hat there ! Clearly his hidden agenda was for the General Conference to agree with him and turn the tables on Alfred Sant....
If I'm not mistaken, this is the third time since his resurrection, that he declares something similar without proving it or even worse gets contradicted by those concerned. Is this mudslinging or not?
1) First he said, that he left the party in 1998 simply because he did not want an early election. Then comes Dr. G.Vella, which like Dr. Abela was also Deputy leader and states that when the decision was taken by the executive committee, of which both of them formed part, Abela did not vote against!
2) Then, he also said that way back in 1998, there were internal discussions, to change the party's policy regarding EU membership and yet again Dr Vella and even Dr A. Sant stated that this was not true (at least on official level).
3) Now, there is this latest smoke screen of presidency allegation made by a 'high position labour official', but yet again no name mentioned. This time we have denial from Dr. C. Mangion in his role as acting leader of the opposition. Dr. Abela why is this name a secret? Are the praises thrown at Dr. Mangion last Sunday still applicable??
Surely Dr Abela's words do not indicate goodwill and certainly won't unite a party which is still under shock after electoral defeat. How can he pretend to get support from delegates or party members if he continues to show this attitude! Is there any hidden agendas maybe?For example hearing some of his statements, passes through my mind that he simply does not want to get elected so that he can continue adopting the attitude of the last 10 years of 'I told you what would happen, but you didn't listen!' Will he use this same arrogant approach with the electorate if he becomes leader?
On a personal note, honestly at first I was not supportive of Dr. Abela's bid to become MLP leader, but after listening to him, I thought that maybe he was right and that his intentions were good. To date I have followed nearly all his speeches / statements etc.and I can declare that he has put me back to square one i.e. from the five contenders he seems to be the least reliable. Ironically he is the only contender who spends time attacking party officials!
I very much doubt it, and only time will tell. But ain't I a staunch supporter of Dr. Abela for leader? So my word is just worth two pennies.
Nevertheless I vouch that Dr. Abela is a man of his word and if you want to know why the former deputy leader is coming back to our dear party and putting himself forward for leader: just read his column on the Labour electronic website: maltastar, with specific insights of how the leadership contenders are looking at the contests ahead on June 5 and 12.
Just a glimpse from Dr. George Abela column:
'My firm commitment is to lead the party to electoral victory. Malta is in dire need of a government led by Labour. All this is possible if we are credible, inclusive and progressive. I am offering my humble services to achieve the best for Labour, to make Labour once again the Party of Success.
This is only a sample, read the full text and hope that the delegates who seem to be casting their vote for the new MLP leader, will truly use their mind and not their heart.
It is not a secret that ABC and DCG are nationalists supporters. However I don't blame them that they want GA as their leader and the least they would like to see is Sant's poodle
GA is moderate who is able to work with anyone including nationalists, floaters and laburisti.
If the laburisti are going to keep on this mentality they will never see the government again.
GA is being targeted by almost every high official in the MLP.
Last Sunday il mument said that Joseph Muscat was part of the strategy team in this election.
Why nobody said anything about it and Michael Falzon was attacked by party officials for the extra hour given in election day?
I totally agree with you. Most Maltese (not only) politicans these past few years think only about themselves and, maybe, their party. The country stands last, if at all. When things go wrong they always blame somebody else, rather than themselves. They go to extremes just to be credible and we sometimes forget that being credible does NOT mean saying the truth, but just making the public believe. Ethics and morality have disappeared from some politicians' vocabulary. "But that's politics" we are told, " and everybody else does it."
You are only giving more fuel to the PN
I'm not saying that G.Abela is some saint but you've already chosen who to believe.....you chose to put more glitter on Sant's clique and believe that it looks good and believe that tomorrow could be better and believe that the PN's life is short and you'll reach the promised land "sooner than you think"
Such a Leader will need a lot of backing , support, and loyalty.
This contest has unfortunately developed into a jigsaw puzzle of considerable proportions .
Remember,
MLP only lost by a mere 1500 votes. So there must have been some good going on.
Why am I, a non MLP supporter ,but a Maltese citizen, saying this?
When listening carefully to comments by contestants on the media one gets the impression that the party is in ruins and has to start afresh.. out with the old in with the new. Is this true ? Personally I do not think so.
If one had a house which was falling apart it would be better to demolish it and rebuild instead of patch it up. - I do not think MLP is in this state.
Before the elections MLP ONE TV and ONE radio were, according to statistics, classified as most popular among listeners and viewers - MLP was winning local council elections - MLP said that all was ready for elections whenever it came.
What Happened ? Was all this pre election talk a scam? I think not. the facts prove it.
If MLP had won the elections would it have been a government evolved from a deteriorating party ? I think not . Reasoning would have taken a different tone similar to what was being said during vote counting day.
What is misleading the public is that an impression is being given by some contestants, from the manner with which they express themselves, that there are splinter groups inside the party and the party itself will never be united and become one whoever will be elected.
A more diplomatic mode of speech and mutual respect towards each other will surely instill a positive impression of what the future will be for MLP. as well as for a would be future Labour prime minister.
Dear George, by your gestures, you seem to have a hidden agenda. What is it? Will you, (like Dom), spoil the game?
Aren't we all realising what a SCANDAL the present generation of politicians are causing to the younger generation? That is to say, those few young people who follow - or try to follow - the political scene in Malta at the moment?
We don't know any longer where truth lies; we don't know any longer who is saying the truth and which truth is being said. We don't know any longer what to think, who to trust, who to have faith in!!!!!
Can't we get it into our thick - very thick - heads that level-headed citizens are simply dismissing politicians as those who simply LIE all the time, and just to suit their ends?
Can't we realise that we are expecting to have a situation in which people will lose all trust in the present establishments? And no amount of force, coercion and sarcasm (ABC, take note!) will remedy matters.
There is NOBODY here who is thinking about the young generation and we continue to hysterically and hypocritically denounce people who are pedophiles when the politicians and those other columnists (I am speaking in general, here, referring to nobody and to everyone at the same time) who make up the establishment, are doing infinitely worse harm than such sick people.