Joseph Muscat crowned Labour leader

Nikita Zammit Alamango

Jun 7th 2008, 23:41

Well said Lynn . Joseph Muscat is a breath of fresh air for Malta, not just for the labourites. He has the energy and courage that will change the way most people regard politics in Malta. Politics is a science, it is a great subject, so lets not spoil its value. Patisan politics will get us now where near being the Best in Europe, it ultimately adds up to narrow minded people and supporters. Lets all be objective , for the country's common good.

@ R Gauci
Im sorry you think that way. Seems like you havent heard of Josephs credentials, i urge you not to take anything forgranted . I wouldnt want you to experience great disappointment. :)

Frans Sammut

Jun 7th 2008, 21:24

I will repeat what I said, regardless of whether some bloggers feel upset about it. The MLP delegates may not be academics or university professors, but when it comes to politics they know their onions. They have made the right choice and should be lauded for their wisdom and politcal savvy.Herr Schultz must be happy that his is full syntony with theirs. It means the highly experienced MEP and the Maltese delegates fully concur on their choice of the MLP leader and the future Maltese Premier. Herr Verheugen must have already taken notice too.

kevin abela

Jun 7th 2008, 18:29

@lynn zahra.

Forget those comments. When everything else fails and they do not have anything to clinch to they start putting up these kind of stories. Let us all now rally behind Dr.Muscat. OUR LEADER.

Lynn Zahra

Jun 7th 2008, 16:40

@Malcom Portelli

"Dr.Muscat has no political experience except as a Mep since 2004" How parochial! Do you mean that Joseph's 4 years' experience as a European Parliamentarian is peanuts when compared to the experience gained in our parliament by our local politicians ?

@Andrew Gauci: I am getting fed up reading the tiresome " the delegates did not vote as the people wanted" . How can you keep saying this when the surveys clearly showed JM as the favourite amongst the all important voters - the floaters? Yes - that' s right, that's what they said, even if Abela's supporters tried to obscure this fact. To me this fact means the delegates voted exactley as the people wished them to do .

JM's enthusiam and youth is as refreshing asthat of Obama and JM's election as Leader of the Oppostion by the Labour delegates clearly signals that like the Americans, the Maltese are willing to ditch their parochial, back water mentality for an upbeat one - a truly fresh way of doing politics.

A Muscat

Jun 7th 2008, 15:25

I was all for GA as new MLP leader and still think that JM is not the best choice.

But now that is history. JM is the leader of the MLP and he has to be given chance and space to prove himself. We have to wish him luck as another PN victory is not good for democracy.

We will know soon enough what sort of leadership skills JM really has. It only takes 100 days. If he remains loyal and protective of the incumbents in executive positions for having helped smoothen his way to leadership than he is doomed. If he truly is his own man and leads his own way in true spirit meritocracy, meaning that he has to keep his harshest critics by his side, then he might positively surprise us.

Ben Grech

Jun 7th 2008, 12:42

Congratulatiopns to Joseph Muscat for his victory. I hope his promises of reforms will make the Labour party a highly credible alternative to the Nationalist party. If so I look forward to voting for him come 2013. Those of you predicitng another Labour loss in five years time, are jumping the gun to say the least. Joseph Muscat is not only a progressive politician, but is also one of the few politicians who s not afraid to admit that his own party has made mistakes on certain issues. For those reasons Joseph is quite literally a breath of fresh air highly needed by the labour party.

George Camilleri

Jun 7th 2008, 11:44

The people doesn't vote for Jason, they vote for the NEW mentallity of the NEW labour!!!!!!
The Administration is still there obviously so it's their admire to congratulate the NEW LEADER THAT IS A TRUE LABOURER!!!!!!!!!!!

Albert Gauci Cunningham

Jun 7th 2008, 11:29

PN supporters ----------A party wins when it wins and definitely not 5 years before an election...............and the same goes to the MLP.........before opening all the canons of viciousness against Gonzi and calling him"lier" ,"xih", "drag" and all sorts remember that what you achieved yesterday is just the beginning of a very delicate process which if sucessful would lead to the MLP's biggest victory in 5 years time ( and stop this "issa tara kif jaqa l-gvern" nonesense!!!) but if it goes wrong ,thanks to you know who, it will handicap the MLP into oblivion............Listen to what Manwel Micallef said on Xarabank yesterday and learn!!!!!!!!!!!!

The PN also has difficult tests (economic, financial......) and things show that this Govt. might not be numerically stonger but the PM and Ministers like Gatt and Dalli mean business...the worst thing to do is to sit down and say the PN is doomed and the MLP will win.....make no mistake about it, people like me will openly criticise the PN because we love our Party as much as you, I'm not a YES man, YES men are defeatist and with people like us Gonzi is still very much in the race!!!!

victor tabone

Jun 7th 2008, 10:39

jason is happy now. mlp remains the same. pn are set for another victory next election.

dorianne bugeja

Jun 7th 2008, 10:20

While I congrulate Dr Joseph Muscat for his victory and wish him success for the future as after all as a maltese citizen success is what I want for my country, I have little doubts that having the old members such as Dr Jason Micallef behind him might not be such a good idea.

Good luck Dr Muscat and may you only and your mind lead the party to rulethe country

lara borg

Jun 7th 2008, 10:17

Well said Clint Taliana - this is why i can never vote PN - they always manage to cover up.. JPO story - mietet - Skandlu bhal dak... And what i can not understand how they think that they know who is the best leader.. Good Luck Joseph....

Emmanuel Mazzitelli

Jun 7th 2008, 09:54

Some people/soothsayers down here talk crap and never learn. Have you ever heard of the young Blair coming to the helm of the British Labour Party after a spate of electoral defeats and years in opposition? The Labour Party was then in disarray and Tony Blair was an unseasoned politician - he turned out to be one of the best prime ministers Britain has ever had. History can repeat itself in Malta, why not? So let us wait, evaluate closely JM's performance and actions and then comment objectively.

Patience is a great merit.

Frans Sammut

Jun 7th 2008, 09:23

May I heartily congratulate Dr Joseph Muscat on his crushing victory. We (and by "we" I mean the Maltese people) look forward to better times. I would also like to extend my congratulations to the Party delegates who have, once again, shown good sense and ability to offer the country the best of the very best. All Maltese should be rejoicing at this moment, except, that is, the hidden forces that try to manipulate the life of the nation from their "smoke-filled rooms". To their chagrin we are already breathing a whiff of fresh air. In the coming months it will get stronger and fill our lungs with its moral bounty and ethical cleansing. Only the rotten may cringe and gnash their teeth. High time they did too.

Andrew Gauci

Jun 7th 2008, 09:01

I very much agree with Malcom Portelli. I would like to also point out that the delegates did not vote according to what the people really wanted.

If one takes a brief look at the surveys it can be clearlly seen that the country wanted George Abela. Now we only hope that Gonzi is elected for another term, otherwise like M.Portelli said "people close to the leader will simply dictate to him (Muscat) what to do and what to say" and we will loose all the good work achieved by the current government.

Stephen Sultana

Jun 7th 2008, 09:00

@ John Saliba

You don't need to tell us that you live in Cape Town since what you have wrote is a crap and confirmed that you don't know what actually is happening in our country! What is for sure is that WE don't need the Nationalist advise as to who we shall elect as a leader. Joseph and ALL other contenders are valid and together we will jolt this GonziPN government so as to wake it up from this nap that has been quite long by now. This Government is short of ideas and vision and all that has promised in the last election has already vanquished!

Robert Thake

Jun 7th 2008, 08:56

@Norbert Vella

hah! I bet you said that every day, of every year, since 1987 :-)

Clint Taliana

Jun 7th 2008, 08:42

I wonder all these 'experts' down here what would have said if G. abela would have been elected... perhaps too old or? Time will give its toll and then we can really judge.

Now its time for serious business and see the tax cuts (never coming) and the car tax reform.... (God knows when happening), the removal of aiport pax tax (delayed ad-infinitum)...... here we go again now. The break is over dear Gonzi.

John Saliba

Jun 7th 2008, 07:23

Even though I live in Cape Town I could see what was coming. Nationalist Party supporters were deliberately punting Dr. George Abela and pointing out that he voted for EU membership and simultaneously attached Joseph Muscat as being Sant's anointed one. The plan worked, Labour have got the weakest of the five as leader. To the Labour delegates I say, "thanks, thanks a million. Prime Minister Gonzi has been assured of his second electoral victory in five years time". And by the way, Muscat will go down in history to be the third Labour leader, since the second world war, to have failed in winning a general election first time around. Mintoff only succeeded in his third attempt, whilst Mifsud Bonnici failed twice and departed. Sant was the only one who got it right first time, got confused after a few months and failed ever after. That's Labours glorious history in a nutshell. Let Labour's earthquake bigin... it can only bring disaster, confusion and pain at Hamrun's glasshouse.

Luke Gatt

Jun 7th 2008, 06:02

Now that a leader has been elected would there be change in the Mlp. Would their be the "Bidu gdid" Or come 2013, same administration and same people (different leader) and no change at all in the Mlp attitude towards certain policies.

maria rita borg

Jun 7th 2008, 05:31

I like the crowned bit in the title .
The king maker should not be very far !!!!
Long live the king mark 2!!!!!!!

Matthew Borg

Jun 7th 2008, 01:18

Congratulations to Dr. Muscat, but I honestly hope that he can make the opposition a credible alternative at long last... it's been too long since we've had one!

Joseph Grech-Attard

Jun 6th 2008, 23:57

@ R. Gauci
"Coming soon"......does that mean early elections? Hope not. The country cannot afford it. The country was at the edge of a precipice and, since the electorate voted gonziPN, it has now made a big step forward!! Congratulations Joseph Muscat. You are already capable of leading a great Party and, when the time comes, also a nation. God help you.

Malcolm Portelli

Jun 6th 2008, 23:51

Good point Jason... But I believe that to become a leader of such a political party such as the MLP, you have to go through certain steps in your career and not just jump all the steps and one fine day you find yourself a leader. J. Muscat has absolutely no political experience except as an MEP since 2004. What I see happening in the future is that people close to the leader will simply dictate to him (Muscat) what to do and what to say. Hopefully I'm wrong in thinking this.

jason Azzopardi

Jun 6th 2008, 23:39

I think Joseph has many good qualities - but it would be brilliant if he manages to keep George Abela by his side. Both would form a formidable duo -

Young & energy coupled by experience and wisdom = Joseph and George compliment each other - hopefully they realise this and form a leadership team.(Jason Azzopardi Zabbar)

Malcolm Portelli

Jun 6th 2008, 23:38

too young and no experience to lead. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I think.

Norbert Vella

Jun 6th 2008, 23:29

@R. Gauci

You will soon change your mind. Like Maltese say 'Iz-Zmien jaghtina parir'

R. Gauci

Jun 6th 2008, 22:57

COMING SOON - Another PN Victory

Thank you Labour delegates.