Even though Joseph Muscat was not the preferred candidate for the Labour Party leadership post among most taking part in newspaper polls and surveys, now that the party conference delegates did as most had in fact expected and chose him, rather than George Abela, to take over from Alfred Sant, the party is in a high mood as new hopes generate expectations of renewal. For the truth is, at least as it can be judged by the people's reaction to his election, that even though he is regarded as Dr Sant's disciple, he has won general appeal among Labour supporters and many are eagerly waiting to see how he is going to translate all that he has said in his leadership campaign into practice.

Those who still think Dr Abela would have given the party a better chance to beat the Nationalists at the polls, when these fall due in five years' time, or earlier, if Lawrence Gonzi decides to seek a fresh mandate ahead of time, have enough time to give Dr Muscat the benefit of the doubt as they wait to see his performance in and out of Parliament.

However, hopes of new times ahead for the MLP and for Maltese politics were somewhat shattered when the MLP conference delegates opted for two deputy leaders who, in the eyes of many, including Labour people, are regarded as politically ill-fitted for their new posts. The argument is that both Toni Abela and Anġlu Farrugia are not of the political mould that can attract the support, let alone the confidence or political trust, of uncommitted voters. Dr Muscat may well be successful in drawing back to the party those who, for one reason or another, had fled in droves. His charismatic traits have already won back to the party a number of key members, including the latest, Joe Debono Grech, who resigned from the party following the leadership election.

But even if the new leader manages to get all the lost sheep back, would this be enough to ensure a Labour victory at a general election, whenever it is called? However important political civility might be in a politically-charged atmosphere as that we have in Malta, it is ultimately credibility and trust that will count most in an election.

The political baggage Dr Abela and Dr Farrugia carry does not help give the party the new image Dr Muscat is trying to fashion for the MLP. Maybe both will bury their hard-line, aggressive approach and act in conformity with the new line their leader is promoting. As in the case of Dr Muscat, they have ample time to prove their "conversion" and help the new leader bring about the new political season he is talking about so avidly in his first weeks after his election.

There is much in the political pipeline that would need to be thrashed out and that calls for cool minds and mature political thinking and decisions. One is the revision of the energy consumption rates and another the privatisation of the shipyards, both highly-sensitive issues.

Labour's views on these in Parliament will be keenly weighed and analysed to see if the party adopts a different attitude to the negative stance usually followed by Dr Sant's opposition in Parliament.