The Malta Labour Party is still paying the consequences of the time it spent in government without having the majority of people behind it.

The MLP won the government in spite of having a minority of votes in 1981 – and held on to power till the last possible day, 9 May, 1987. Destiny and history has punished it for denying democracy to the people, and since then the MLP has gone through turbulent times.

It has been defeated by the Nationalist Party in 1987, 1992, 1998, 2003 and 2008 – not to mention the European Union referendum – and the only time it won the support of the majority, in 1996, it did not manage to hold on to government till the end of the legislature.

And it seems that it has not yet learnt the lesson. It continues to act as if nothing has happened, thinks the PN should not be in government because it has a relative majority of votes, and believes it has some divine right for an equal position alongside the government simply because it was defeated by 1,500 votes.

They should wake up, and wake up now. Five years might seem a long time, but they will pass quickly, and the MLP has already wasted a lot of time in electing a new leader and starting a new chapter. They are still to make up their mind as to who will be leading them after Alfred Sant, and judging by the look of things, they will probably be making the wrong choice again.

The fact that the motion to open up the voting for the leadership posts to members, apart from delegates, was turned down, is a clear indication that the best candidate of the five who are contesting the post, George Abela, does not have enough support within the party.

Of the five, Dr Abela is the more popular among the so-called floating voters, and the only one who can inspire enough trust to tilt the balance in Labour’s favour in 2013. And, yet, it is likely that Dr Abela will not make it.

When one sees all this, one can conclude that perhaps Labour are enjoying themselves in opposition and would like to stay there.

John Cassar

Mosta