Ex-AD chairman to run for Labour president post

Wenzu Mintoff will be challenging Labour Party president Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi for the post during the party's administrative elections on August 4 and 5.

Dr Mintoff, currently MLP education secretary, returned to the MLP in early 1998 after he and Toni Abela - who last month was elected deputy leader for party affairs - were expelled from the party in 1989 by the Vigilance and Disciplinary Board which they had helped set up. The two were founders of Alternattiva Demo-kratika, which Dr Mintoff chaired for a number of years.

Dr Mintoff said yesterday that as the party's education secretary he had worked on a continuous programme of activities that attracted very good participation rates.

He wanted to commit himself more within the party at a strategy and political analysis level.

Dr Mintoff said he supported the political line of the new leadership in its efforts to make the party the natural choice of progressives and moderates.

He wanted to contribute to the principles and beliefs that had built the MLP since its creation, particularly that of social justice, so that they may remain relevant for today's realities.

Dr Mintoff said he wanted to sustain the leadership's efforts for the majority of Maltese and Gozitans to feel comfortable and at peace with Labour in government.

Dr Zrinzo Azzopardi confirmed he will run for the post.