MLP conference to discuss voting rights next week

An extraordinary general conference of the Labour Party will be convened next Friday at 6 p.m., the party's executive decided last night.

The party in a statement announced the holding of the conference but did not say its purpose - which is to discuss a petition for an amendment to the statute so that all paid up members may be eligible to vote for the party leadership.

Some 120 of the 900 party delegates signed the petition, presented last week by MP Marlene Pullicino,That number exceeded the 10 per cent threshold required by the party statute to force an EGM.

If approved, the amendment will open the vote to Labour’s current 19,000 members.

To date voting rights are only assigned to the delegates at the general conference, but leadership hopeful George Abela had voiced the idea of extending it to the membership when he showed his interest in contesting the election to succeed Alfred Sant. The election will be held next month.