Appeal to MLP delegates (1)

Within a few days, an extraordinary general meeting of the Labour Party will elect the new party leader.

Since the third consecutive defeat of the MLP in the general election of March 8, a lot has been said and suggested about who should elect the new leader, the qualities needed by the new leader and perhaps the most crucial question: will the new leader show the way forward to victory in 2013?

The MLP delegates will just have to tick the name of one of the five contenders for the top spot. But undoubtedly, considering the trauma all MLP supporters have been through since 1998, that simple tick has now assumed great significance.

A winner will emerge from the election. There can only be one leader, even though all five contenders have their merits and have proposed ways of reforming the party.

But will the winner be the one that satisfies the delegates' ego, or rather a person whose qualities raise hopes that the support he/she will get from the majority of the delegates, will be reflected in the overall support of the electorate?

This is the challenge facing the 920 delegates who are entitled to vote for the new MLP leader on Thursday. I urge them to stand up and be counted in the overall interest of Malta, and not solely of the party; elect the person who has the qualities not only to carry out the necessary changes in the MLP, but who will convince the electorate to put the MLP in power again after a 15-year absence.