Toni Abela’s botched candidature as a member of the European Court of Auditors has left the Labour Party with somewhat of a deputy leader crisis.
Dr Abela was expected to resign as deputy leader for party affairs after getting the EU post. This would have paved the way for Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi to join the party leadership in his stead.
However, the plan went haywire this week after the European Parliament’s budgetary control committee voted against Dr Abela’s nomination. The committee’s vote is not binding and the government may still stick with Dr Abela and seek approval for the nomination in the plenary of the European Parliament.
It is unclear what government’s intention is at this stage and Dr Abela yesterday would not comment as to whether he would be interested if this course of action were followed.
Labour president Daniel Micallef was evasive when asked whether Dr Abela had submitted his resignation
“I’ve done all I could and I do not wish to comment at this stage. I need my private space,” a disappointed Dr Abela told this newspaper.
Asked whether he was still party deputy leader, Dr Abela referred this newspaper to a statement that had been issued by the party when Dr Mizzi was elected to the same post last February.
Sources told this newspaper that Dr Abela had not yet resigned and the subject was unlikely to be broached internally so soon after the ill-fated grilling at the hands of MEPs.
Labour president Daniel Micallef was evasive when asked whether Dr Abela had submitted his resignation. He simply referred this newspaper to a statement released on February 1, following a meeting of the party’s executive committee, which had made it clear that any newly-elected deputy leader would only take up the post when Dr Abela resigned.
This was confirmed through a motion approved by delegates in an extraordinary general conference held last month.
The conference had also paved the way for MPs to be able to contest the post of deputy leader for party affairs.
On February 25, delegates gave Dr Mizzi, the only candidate running for the post, overwhelming approval in a secret ballot. In a statement on the night, the party again confirmed that Dr Mizzi would move in only once Dr Abela resigned.
However, latest developments in the European Parliament this week threw a spanner in the works.
As things stand Dr Mizzi will have to wait a while longer before his appointment as deputy leader becomes official.
Questions sent to Dr Mizzi remained unanswered.
The problem comes at a time when government is fending off severe criticism over secretive Panama companies held by Dr Mizzi and the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Keith Schembri.
kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com