Labour leader to contest in second district

Labour leader Joseph Muscat announced yesterday he would contest the next general election on the second district, which includes Cottonera, because the locality represented the place where the party was born.

“After consulting with my family and my team it was decided that I contest on the second district . . . As the leader of the Labour Party I will contest on the district where the party started. . . This will bring about historical justice,” he told the party’s annual general meeting.

The second district, made up of Vittoriosa, Senglea, Cospicua, Żabbar, Kalkara and Xgħajra, was traditionally associated with former Prime Minister and Labour leader Dom Mintoff.

Dr Muscat said that the other locality he would be contesting would be decided at a later stage and depended on the needs of the party.

The Nationalist Party’s five-year term will be up next year but recent developments have made an early election very likely. This will hinge a lot on how Parliament votes on an opposition motion of no confidence in the government on Thursday. The motion was present after Nationalist MP Franco Debono declared he was no longer supporting the government in Parliament.

Dr Muscat noted yesterday that he had never contested a general election before and only had experience with MEP elections.

Dr Muscat, a former MEP, was co-opted to Parliament in 2008 after he was chosen to succeed Alfred Sant as party leader.

Prime Minster Lawrence Gonzi had contested the second district during the 2008 election when he also contested the ninth district made up of Msida, Għargħur, San Ġwann, Ta’ Xbiex and Swieqi. He was elected from both districts.

When asked what districts would Dr Gonzi contest this time round, a spokesman said: “Such decisions are taken within the PN’s internal structures and communicated when taken. Right now the Prime Minister’s focus is that the national interest comes first, especially in the light of the international economic situation that is very challenging. Pity that Dr Muscat’s focus is solely on which district he will contest in a general election.”