In the days following the general election result, there have been some opinion writers, mostly with leanings towards the Malta Labour Party, who have argued that the MLP lost the election not when the votes were cast on 8 March this year, but when it chose to re-elect Alfred Sant as its leader following the 2003 electoral defeat.

These have argued that, after two consecutive defeats and a loss at the referendum on EU membership, the party should not have chosen Dr Sant to continue as leader after the latter had first decided to quit, but then reconsidered his decision. By doing so, the MLP handed the Nationalist Party the best possible chance to win for a third consecutive time, and the PN took the opportunity.

By the same argument, the MLP’s chances in the 2013 election will start to be determined as from 5 June, when the party will be electing its new leader to replace Dr Sant, whose decision to retire from politics is, this time, irrevocable.

Without going into the merits of who the new MLP leader should be from among the contestants for the post, the delegates who will be casting their preference must realise from the start that the choice they will be making will immediately make it clear whether the MLP will have a chance to oust the PN from power after more than a quarter of a century, bar a 22-month stint between 1996 and 1998.

The delegates must understand that the choice of a new leader is not a trivial matter. It is not simply a question of choosing a person, but choosing the person to guide the party over the next five years, giving it a new image and coming up with proposals that make it a valid alternative to the current incumbent.

The new MLP leader must be someone who immediately shows that the party has moved on from the mistakes it has committed over many years, someone who makes the MLP “electable” not only for the Labour core, but also to that growing sector of the population which has no ties to any political party but, every five years, chooses the better option.

The new leader must immediately say that he or she is a pro-European Union politician, and that the subject of membership has been closed, once and for all. The party has statutorily accepted the decision taken in 2003, but some of its exponents, including former leader Alfred Sant, always remained sceptical.

The new leader must, in a way, be someone similar to his direct adversary, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, who has managed to win the respect of many Labourites in spite of their differing views. Likewise, the new leader must not be someone who is shunned by Nationalists, but someone Nationalist supporters listen to even though they may not share the same beliefs.

The new leader must, yes, lead an opposition which acts as the guardian for Maltese citizens, pointing out government deficiencies and picking on ministers who do not perform well. But he or she must also push the party into coming up with a list of viable, well-planned and valid alternatives that would make the MLP a party that is given due consideration before people cast their vote.

It will not be an easy choice for the delegates. No doubt, all the contestants will try to persuade the voters that he or she is the best choice. But the delegates should look beyond the nice words and deeper into the personality and charisma of the contestants. Everybody can make promises, but not everyone keeps his word.

For the MLP, the 2013 election campaign starts on 5 June. And their first step is definitely the most important one.