The Labour Party will hold an extraordinary general conference on Thursday and Friday, to present the electoral programme and approve the final list of candidates who will contest the general and local elections, Opposition Leader Alfred Sant said yesterday.
Dr Sant made the announcement yesterday at a news conference held a few hours after Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi announced that the general election will be held on Saturday, 8 March.
In his introduction, Dr Sant said the Labour Party welcomed the date of the general election announced by the Prime Minister earlier yesterday morning, as the uncertainty was creating problems for the country’s economy.
Finally, the Maltese have the chance to decide who they want in government and the MLP has been steadily working towards offering a change, said Dr Sant.
The Opposition Leader repeated what has been the MLP’s call for so long; that the country wants, and needs, a change.
Dr Sant said Labour would place the Maltese family at the centre of its policy, and that change would be clean and honest, taking care of people’s money. There would be zero tolerance to corruption in a Labour government.
A Labour government will push the country out of its stagnant economic situation, he added.
The electoral campaign will be based on the Labour documents and focus on improving the quality of life for Maltese families.
Labour will also focus on new reforms in social policy, health and education, said Dr Sant.
The Opposition Leader also said that a Labour government will focus on bringing Europe closer to the Maltese, making sure that everyone benefits from its wealth.
He accused Dr Gonzi’s government of using the EU as a political tool – not as something that will benefit the whole country.
Replying to questions, Dr Sant said the reception class which Labour wants to introduce before primary school is not a repeater class, but a new model based on the models in the UK and Finland.
The Opposition Leader said the Labour Party worked closely as a team and will continue to do so – “unlike Dr Gonzi who runs a one-man show”.
He said that the prime minister was ashamed of his ministers and did not want to be seen in their presence.
Dr Sant said that, after the Labour Party is elected to government, it would still remain close to the people and continue to work with all sectors of society.
He called on all the political parties to have a tranquil electoral campaign, and added that all parties should be given the chance to put forward their proposals.
He went on to say that a Labour government would not re-negotiate the EU accession treaty, but added that a Labour government would seek better conditions for Malta in various sectors such as fishing, farming, agriculture and the dockyard.
The Opposition Leader also stated that a Labour government would keep the dockyard open next year even though, he said, the government wanted to close it if it did not show a profit.
A mass rally will be held today at 6.30pm at the MLP headquarters in Hamrun, as a prelude to the extraordinary general conference that will be held on Thursday and Friday, to approve and elect the list of candidates who will contest the local and general elections.
“We will do our best to address the change for Malta – not just for the sake of it, but because change is needed,” said Dr Sant.
Corruption and conflict of interest will not be tolerated at any level, and good governance will be practised in all sectors of society under a Labour government, he said.