One of the things that amazes me is how uninformed some people are about Labour leader Alfred Sant. A decade and a half of Nationalist Party misinformation about Dr Sant has made it difficult for those who do not follow Maltese politics closely to sift the real facts from the myths created by the PN media about Malta's most able leader and politician.
One of the greatest achievements of Dr Sant has been the way he has changed the face of politics in the Maltese islands. Not only did he eradicate violence from the political arena but he also practised the concept that all Maltese are "citizens" above being supporters of one political party or another. Furthermore, the term "working class" has been replaced by that of "working people" to signify that the Malta Labour Party is an all-inclusive political party and not one simply serving the needs of a limited part of Maltese society.
This fresh approach by Dr Sant resulted in the great Labour electoral victory of 1996. In power, Dr Sant practised what he preached. All Maltese were treated alike on the basis of their citizenship and not their political affiliations. High-ranking public service officials were left in their posts even though it was common knowledge that several of them were PN supporters. This new approach came as something of a culture shock to many people who were used to clientelism in Maltese politics. When the internal crisis within the MLP developed, they were among the first to jump on the anti-Sant bandwagon.
Dr Sant lost the 1998 general election. A myth created by the PN media is that of Dr Sant's government having fallen due to its incompetence. Nothing could be further from the truth. The country was prospering in 1998. Another myth is that Dr Sant showed he was an inexperienced leader when he called an early general election in September 1998. A more experienced leader would have held on to power. This is again not true.
Dr Sant put the national interest first and called a general election instead of taking the country through what might have proved to be a relatively long period of political instability had he hung on to power. Referring to the calling of an early general election in 1998, Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, President of Malta at the time, is quoted as saying: "In my considered judgment I think that was the only option available" (MaltaToday, June 10, 2001).
After being reconfirmed as leader of the MLP by an overwhelming majority (98.4 per cent) of MLP delegates, Dr Sant led the party in the period 1998-2003 when the issue of European Union membership dominated the local political scene. It is very important to point out here that the MLP was never anti-EU. The MLP wanted partnership with the EU instead of membership as studies showed that the former would be more beneficial for Malta given its particular circumstances.
The issue was decided in 2003 in favour of membership of the EU.
One of the most pernicious myths created by the Nationalists is that on the referendum of 2003. Dr Sant has been painted as some sort of anti-democratic political leader who did not respect the wishes of the people after the referendum. The cheek, the hypocrisy of the Nationalists is incredible!
First of all, the events leading to the referendum were an example of anti-democratic practices where the MLP was at a total disadvantage compared to the PN in government, which totally abused the whole state apparatus to get its message through to voters.
Secondly, the result of the referendum was inconclusive and, statistically, could only be interpreted as a victory for the partnership option. Labour rightly celebrated this result but still stuck to its position that only a general election would conclusively settle the issue of EU membership or partnership.
The anti-Sant brigade accused the Labour leader of risking armed clashes in the streets because of his actions. They further accused him of not respecting the people's will. This, in my opinion, counts as one of the most shameful fabrications about Dr Sant created by the PN media. The people who risked destabilising the country after the referendum were those who put the security and law and order of the country at risk by spreading around such malicious inventions.
Dr Sant's democratic credentials are there for all to see. After the general election of April 2003, the MLP immediately accepted the result and respected the people's decision regarding EU membership. After Dr Sant was reconfirmed as leader of the MLP (67.9 per cent of delegates' votes), the party started and continued to do its utmost to make a success story out of EU membership.
The Nationalist Government performed very badly in the post-2003 period. Citizens were asked to make heavy sacrifices and the returns have been poor by any standards.
As the next general election approaches, more and more citizens are realising that the MLP is the only political party that has remained close to the people, that offers the prospect of a new beginning for Malta and the Maltese because MLP policies reflect the needs of the country and its people. Which is why it is imperative that all citizens understand what a great leader Dr Sant is. Comparing the PN's Lawrence Gonzi and the MLP's Dr Sant, one is reminded of what the late French President Georges Pompidou once said: "A politician is a statesman who places the nation at his service. A statesman is a politician who places himself at the service of the nation". Dr Gonzi is a politician, Dr Sant is a statesman.