Muscat campaigner to be made CEO

A member of Joseph Muscat's core campaign team during the leadership race, James Piscopo, has been earmarked to take on the new post of MLP chief executive officer.

The move could happen within the next couple of months, Labour sources have told The Times. Very few people within the party were privy to the news but the PN's daily, In-Nazzjon, broke the news yesterday, to the surprise of many Labour insiders.

The young candidate, who turned 30 in May, would not confirm or deny the news, saying only that he was focused on his family right now. Last Sunday his wife gave birth to the couple's first daughter, Julia.

"I have no comment to make on the matter... for the time being I'm focusing on my family," he said.

Even Dr Muscat was evasive, although he did not deny that Mr Piscopo's appointment was all but finalised. "I will announce the CEO as well as other key posts in due course," he said.

Mr Piscopo's appointment to the post of CEO, which will be created as part of a large-scale administrative reform promised by Dr Muscat, is largely perceived as a move aimed at downsizing the role of general secretary Jason Micallef, who would be relegated to a purely administrative role.

While Dr Muscat had always hinted at a reform he intended to make in the management structure of the party, his plans to introduce a CEO were only revealed in The Sunday Times earlier this month, just a week after delegates confirmed Mr Micallef as general secretary.

The CEO will be captaining a number of directors who will be responsible for key areas such as communications (including the party media), finances and prob-ably also the electoral office and campaign team.

But here, too, Dr Muscat would not be drawn into mentioning any names.

Despite having been part of Dr Muscat's core group during the leadership campaign, Mr Piscopo had never before really cooperated closely with the Labour leader. He was re-introduced to him shortly before the race started and the two hit it off immediately.

Labour sources say Mr Piscopo was previously very active within the party and even headed the youth section before he broke ties around 2004, as a result of disgruntlement with both Alfred Sant and Jason Micallef.

His previous absence from the party is now being regarded as an asset, since he is not seen to belong to any particular faction. But he is likely to face strong resistance from people loyal to Mr Micallef.

mmicallef@timesofmalta.com