Antoine Borg, Rabat
Copying a system others want to ditch
The Labour Party has been trumpeting the convention that will elect its leader in future (not the present leader, one notes). But Maltese Labour has really only copied the decade-old system by which the Conservatives in Britain were electing their last few leaders and which they are unhappy with and have already tried to ditch.
Leader after leader, the Conservative Party has been losing election after general election in Britain. Many within the Conservative Party blame the system by which members, who are usually more extreme, elect leaders in their image rather than leaders that appeal to middle-of-the-road voters.
The Conservatives have tried to remove the convention system and have in fact voted against this system but not with a majority large enough to change the constitution of the party which requires a qualified majority for amendments to be adopted.
So the Conservatives in Britain are now lumbered with a convention system that they don't want. They might be gratified to know, however, that Maltese Labour has now copied the system they have been trying to ditch.
5 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
S.Sammut
Nov 28th 2008, 20:28
aNTOINE bORG should be insisting with his own party to do some soul searching exercise about the lack of democratic process in chosing its hierarchy and structure. Let's hope we have less yesman and more inquisitive party members who would not like to be taken for granted. Anyone who follows the PN's Kunsill Generali's general conference will be amused at the lack of autocriticism and the abundance of self-styled glorifications to the supremo leader and the Party.
c.camilleri
Nov 28th 2008, 16:22
@antione Borg. Before Tony Blair pulled the labour party out of the dust they were losing one election after an other. In fact the Conservative Party won four consecutive elections. So your argument does not seem to hold any water.
alfred agius
Nov 28th 2008, 14:50
Antoine,
Can you comment on the restricted voting system as adopted by the pn in electing its party leader ?
And can you tell us which is the most democratic way of electing the party leader, Labour`s way or the pn way ?
A.Dalli
Nov 28th 2008, 12:52
@Joe. What's the point !
Joe Vassallo
Nov 28th 2008, 12:40
Antoine,
Wht's the point of all this?