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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