More internal trouble seems to be brewing for the Malta Labour Party leadership as a new movement made up of Labour supporters calling themselves Moviment Laburista Popolari – which incidentally has the same initials as the MLP – made its first public appearance yesterday during the Sette Giugno official commemoration.

The movement is spearheaded by Dr Anna Mallia, who laid a wreath at the foot of the Sette Giugno monument in Valletta after handing out to the press a statement laying down the aims of the organisation and speaking of action it will be taking “for Labourites to join it so that (the movement) could give a direction for the solutions needed for the country”.

The movement is against the ratification of the European Constitution, and accused the Malta Labour Party of complicity with the Nationalist Party in government in wanting to ratify it.

Dr Mallia had former Labour Minister Alex Sciberras Trigona and former Labour MP Maria Camilleri sitting next to her during the Sette Giugno event, held in St George’s Square.

The Malta Labour Party already has to deal with other movements set up by former Labour prime ministers, the Front Maltin Inqumu led by Dom Mintoff and the Campaign for National Independence chaired by Dr Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici.

Both are also against the ratification of the European Constitution, with Dr Mifsud Bonnici regularly holding press conferences in a bid to gather support.

The Malta Labour Party is to discuss this ratification at a general conference to be held later this month, with Dr Mifsud Bonnici, himself still an MLP delegate, in favour of a “constructive abstention” position. The creation of this third movement, made up of people with a Labour background, is set to increase problems for the leadership of the Malta Labour Party.

The party’s parliamentary group has already expressed itself in favour of the ratification of the European Constitution, although with reservations.

In the statement given to the press, the Moviment Laburista Popolari (MLP) said it was set up “by Maltese and Gozitans who are passing through a time when their rights and aspirations, and particularly those of Labourites, are being trodden upon and used in the interests of cliques and those who are comfortable”.

The movement’s aim is to see that the standard of living as well as the interests of the Maltese and Gozitan workers, and those mostly in need, are taken care of and improved through legitimate means, by whoever is in government and whoever is representing the people in Parliament and unions.

The movement, therefore, promotes the following concepts – the spreading and implementing of Labourite thoughts and beliefs in the interests of the Maltese, particularly of the workers and those in need; and to gather social, civic, economic and political support on specific themes which are important to Maltese and Gozitan workers as well as to battle against what the movement considers as threats.

Elaborating, the movement said that, at present, the workers’ interests are being threatened both at the socio-economic level as well as the political level, and these threats need to be resisted and overcome.

At present, the Nationalist Party is also posing a threat since it aims to ratify the European Constitution – which the movement said goes against the Maltese Constitution – with the complicity of the Malta Labour Party leadership.

The movement’s first plan of action is to appeal to every Maltese and Gozitan, particularly Labourites, to join it so that the it can give a direction to the solutions needed by the country.

The movement thought it fit to express itself publicly for the first time on Sette Giugno since the Maltese are reliving 1919 since both their livelihood and freedom are being threatened, the statement added.

The movement remembered the heroes of Sette Giugno formally and by means of a sincere recollection for those who fought and gave up their lives for Malta’s freedom.

It is therefore imperative, the movement concluded, that “we struggle to defend our livelihood and freedom won through their work and heroism”.