Wednesday, 7th January 2009
Sant breaks silence but gets short shrift from Muscat
Alfred Sant (left) and Joseph Muscat.
The country is facing new challenges and could not waste time looking back at past mistakes or failed solutions, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said in reply to public comments made by his predecessor, Alfred Sant.
In a two-page article on the General Workers' Union's daily l-orizzont yesterday, Dr Sant was highly critical of the analytical report drawn up by the Labour Party (PL) following the defeat in last March's general election.
However, Dr Muscat said that, while he took note of any advice, his next step was to look ahead.
"I take note of any advice that comes my way, be it from former leaders or the media, and then I move ahead. Labour is embarking on a journey and its destination is success. The country is facing new challenges and the answers to these challenges cannot be the failed solutions of the past," he said, when contacted.
"The PL we are building is the future," he added.
In the article, Dr Sant said he felt he could finally speak out now that the new party leadership, led by Dr Muscat, had moved ahead.
"I can put forward my reflections, expressed with all good intentions, without them being twisted to lay any obstacles in their (the new party leadership's) path," he wrote.
Dr Sant said there was no need to take any notice of those, such as The Sunday Times, that wanted to weaken the Left and the PL.
Referring to the electoral defeat report, Dr Sant said it was full of factual mistakes that shed no light on the party's electoral defeat.
Among other things, the analysis, published in May, was critical of the party's electoral office, which was described as having worked alone and not as part of the campaign.
It had pointed out that the people who did not vote were not all Nationalists but were split more or less down the middle between Labour and PN, while it was estimated that over 7,000 former PL-sympathising voters stayed home on election day.
"It seems that the people who wrote the report had little clear knowledge about the personal and organisational environment within the party. As a result, this report gives great importance to trivialities and barely touches upon the true problems in the campaign," Dr Sant wrote. While he was convinced that the authors of the report had the right intentions, Dr Sant said the methodology and the analysis were fault-ridden.
It was amply clear from the last election results that it was a very close victory for the PN. "As a result, when one starts from the premise that it was a total loss - as though it was a landslide victory for GonziPN - one is starting on the wrong foot."
The former leader pointed out that the Maltese electorate was very stable and that a very slim margin of votes shifted from one party to another. He said it was always clear that the PN was ready to do anything, without having any scruples, to remain in power.
Dr Sant accused the PN of using illegally-gained information about private citizens and criticised the way public funds were squandered and the haphazard handing out of jobs and contracts to win votes.
In the future, the PL should follow a centre-left social democratic policy that would moderate socialist measures so that they could become acceptable and attractive while maintaining continuity.
Dr Sant said Labour, and other left-wing elements outside the party, should focus on eight areas: Europe, the economy, education, the welfare state, illegal immigration, the environment, corruption and good governance, which, he remarked, offered opportunities to strengthen the socialist, Maltese and European message.
Dr Sant remains sceptical about EU accession and feels time seems to have proved the PL right. "Time is proving what Labour had said about the effect of EU membership on families and businesses".
Even though he said just the elite were benefitting from membership, Dr Sant accepted that the clock could not be turned back. "The challenge is to bring about the best conditions for Maltese and Gozitan families while strengthening the European who defends workers."
When contacted for his comments, Godfrey Pirotta, who headed the commission that authored the report, refused to comment: "We have always followed the policy not to comment about the report and I will continue doing so."
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Comments
A perfect MLP slogan for the next general election. Of course this has to be accompanied by the above pictures.
Are you happy now Mr J Camilleri. Excuse me if my English is not up to your standard.
Let no one be fooled by Sant's simplistic article-analysis in Orizzont. The article is nothing but a call to arms to his followers to resist and to question everything, including Malta's EU mebership. The facts are that Sant took over a strong , organized party, and returned it in shambles, in shame, beaten and demoralized. For 16 years it was Sant's time to stand up and to speak up. Now it's his time to shut up.
" Joe Vella: I think you don't understand English or the statement J. Muscat made. He clearly showed that he is not to follow but to lead the PL to a successful future. So please get over the twisting of words or inventing lies."
Can you tell me what leadership Joseph Muscat showed in the recent debate on the Electricity/water tariff debates. Or for that matter on the Rent Reform.
The Social Partners not only lead the fight on the electricity/water tariff debate but came up with proposals to the Government. Same thing on the Rent reform debate, the Social partners and the NGO have responded to the Government White Paper on Rent Reform. It was only reported this past week in the Times that the PL is now ready to discuss Rent Reform
Joe Galea, you tell who have been the real Opposition to the Government to-date? Also, what is Joseph Muscat/ PL stand on other important issues of the day, such as, Pension Reform, Public Transit Reform, Educational Reform and a host of other issues.
Wait, I get it, Joseph Muscat is only to lead the PL, and not the opposition to the Government.
"MIT-TAGEN GHAL GON-NAR"
Min jaf forsi juzawh ghall elezzjoni li jmiss.
Mussolini used to say"Molti nemici grande onore". The message is somewhat right not the messenger
I know whats the feeling cause it happens even to me .
That is why Alfred Sant might have been right when mentioning the Sunday Times
opposition leaders just talk, they don't deliver.they do so when they are elected.dr.sant failed miserable there and his poodle want do much better
INTERESTING TIMES AHEAD INDEED!
@Joseph Agius
Dear Sir , unlike our PM , do you really believe that Joseph is not listening to what the people in the streets and in their homes and on their work place are saying be them PL , PN and whoever they may be??
Dr. Muscat is the present and future of the PL but most of all for OUR Nation.
Obviously , although already delivering and although a Breath of fresh air in the PL and in local politics in general is already being felt thanks to HIM , like all things in life , changes take time to be executed !!
Here we are trying to create a big issue where there isn't an issue . Actually the pn are trying to find one to divert it on Joseph .
The problem is and remains that the things that the country are passing from are difficult to be forgotten .
This is the same tactic for the last twenty years that at the end of the day what matters is what are the families passing from instead of what and how the labour party lost the election
"Dr Sant remains sceptical about EU accession and feels time seems to have proved the PL right." -- I wonder what he thinks about the introduction of the Euro and how this enabled us to weather the ongoing financial storm relatively unscathed (think UK!). I shudder to think what would have happened to our country had we stuck with the Lira (imagine the effects of a ~20% devaluation with respect to the Euro).
Luckily for the whole country Dr Muscat seems to be a bit more level-headed and prepared to listen to others' opinions than his predecessor. Dr Sant did his part and he should now move over and let the PL leadership turn the party into viable government material in time for the 2013 elections. Just my 2c, of course.