The Malta Labour Party described the setting up of the Moviment Laburista Popolari as a gimmick, but later on in the week decided to investigate who its members are and, through its Vigilance and Discipline Board, said it will take action against members who are on both sides on the fence.

This shows that it is taking matters more seriously than the immediate reactions of the party leadership indicated. And, it is believed, taking the matter seriously is the right way to deal with the situation.

The Malta Labour Party has very often been hit from within. The history books give detailed accounts of what the MLP went through in the 1940s and 1950s, with the most recent happening taking place in 1998 when Dr Alfred Sant, then Prime Minister, was forced to call an early general election – an election which returned the Nationalist Party to government after a mere 22-month spell for Labour.

Now in opposition, the MLP must contend with other “Labour” movements which seem to be pulling in the opposite direction to the line taken by the party. This is particularly so on the issue of whether or not the European Constitution should be ratified.

The MLP parliamentary group has opted to vote in favour of the ratification of the Treaty, albeit with reservations. Up until last week, it had to contend with the Front Maltin Inqumu, led by former Labour Prime Minister Dom Mintoff, and the Campaign for National Independence, chaired by another former Labour PM, Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici.

Since 7 June, a third movement has cropped up, calling itself the Moviment Laburista Popolari. The choice of MLP as an acronym by this new organisation is not a coincidence. It aims to spread Labourite thoughts and beliefs in the interests of the Maltese, particularly of the workers, saying that these are being threatened.

In its first public announcement, the new movement accused the Malta Labour Party of complicity with the PN government with regard to the ratification of the EU Constitution. So now the “original” MLP must deal with three “pro-Labour” movements that are taking a different line on this particular issue.

So far, only one name has emerged as being part of the Moviment Laburista Popolari, Dr Anna Mallia, who laid a wreath at the foot of the Sette Giugno monument during last week’s official commemoration of the 1919 riots. The other members are still not known.

The Malta Labour Party is now trying to discover which other people are involved in this movement and MLP general secretary Jason Micallef has said that anyone involved in this new movement cannot continue to work within the MLP.

Later this month, the MLP will convene its general conference to discuss the EU Constitution issue before this is debated in Parliament next month. As Dr Sant himself explains in his monthly article in TMID today, the MLP has gone through a long process to arrive at this point.

The currents against the party’s stand have made it harder, and the most difficult part is still to come, when delegates will be asked to cast their vote. Will they toe the party line and give Dr Sant overwhelming support?

Will the party be happy if, say, a third or a quarter of the delegates vote against the ratification of the EU Constitution? In this event, the party line will still have been approved, but a sizeable section of delegates will have still shown their disagreement with the official party position.

The result of the MLP conference vote on the EU Constitution ratification will be important, not only for the issue per se, but also for the future of the Malta Labour Party. The possibility of the Moviment Laburista Popolari developing into a political party might also depend on the outcome.