A petition calling on the MLP general conference to amend the party statute so as to allow the paid-up members to vote for the leadership was submitted this afternoon to party president Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi.

The MLP statute to date provides that the party leader is elected by the delegates to the general conference.

The petition says the time had come for wider participation in the choice of the party leader.

“Such a broad process for the selection of the leader will also send a concrete signal to the electorate that the party has embarked on the road for renewal, with more direct participation in decision-making. Such a change will again put the Labour Party at the forefront of participatory democracy in the country.”

The petition also calls for the general conference to be convened early enough so that, if the amendments are approved, the election could be held on time on June 5.

Dr Zrinzo Azzopardi told journalists that the party executive will now discuss the procedure for consideration of the petition by the general conference. He said that although the party statute does not set a timetable within which a petition of this sort has to be discussed, there would not be procrastination.

The petition carries 122 signatures, exceeding the threshold of 10 percent of the delegates needed for an extraordinary general conference to be convened. Should the proposed amendments be approved, 19,000 party members would be eligible to vote, a number which Dr Zrinzo Azzopardi admitted posed a logistical challenge.

The petition was handed in by new Labour MP Marlene Pullicino who said she agreed with giving a greater voice to the people. She added however that she would be loyal to whoeever was elected MLP leader.

The idea of extending voting rights to all the party members was first raised by leadership contender George Abela,