What stands out the most following the result is that whereas in the election for the top post, that of party leader, the delegates chose a young and energetic man with no links to Labour’s past, last week they chose two deputy leaders with experience.
The delegates chose two men who are known for their outspokenness, abrasiveness and appeal to the grassroots – Anglu Farrugia, in the post of deputy leader for parliamentary affairs, actually the second in command within the MLP, and Toni Abela, as deputy leader for party affairs.
Chris Cardona and Gavin Gulia, who made it to the final round of voting, and Carmelo Abela, who was eliminated in the first round, are younger, more soft-spoken and would have probably been welcomed more by that section of the electorate that considers itself as being neutral.
The choice has now been made and, as Dr Muscat said in his statement soon after the two deputy leaders were made known, the party must continue working to attract those people who have never seen eye to eye with the MLP, and those who formed part of the party but left over the years.
The MLP must now settle down in its new format. It has taken three months to select its new trio at the top, and now that this has been done – not without casualties, as the Joe Debono Grech resignation shows – it must come up with its plans to set the ball rolling.
Important decisions need to be taken, and this should be done in the shortest time possible.
The question with regard to the appointment of the Speaker of the House of Representatives is one hot issue that the MLP must deal with. The MLP had promised that it would make up its mind when the new leader is elected, and now there are no more excuses to procrastinate.
But, apart from this national matter, the party must also solve other internal problems – some old, some new. It is clear, for example, that two of the contenders for the leadership post – Michael Falzon and Evarist Bartolo – are not too happy with the way they were treated by the “party machine” during the election campaign.
Dr Muscat has repeatedly said that he wants to work with all those willing to contribute in the party’s best interests. While it seems that the relations with George Abela have improved, seeing the way Dr Abela was welcomed last Thursday during the first round of voting for the two deputy leaders, Dr Muscat will have to work hard to make Dr Falzon and Mr Bartolo feel at home again.
The party machinery itself will need to undergo its own test in a few months (weeks?) time, when the important administrative posts come under scrutiny in what should be yet another hotly-contested election.
There have been calls for resignation, in particular that of secretary-general Jason Micallef, with the MLP administration so far defending itself by saying that it needed to organise the election for the leadership. Now that this is over, its turn will soon come.
Other important decisions need to be taken shortly. The party will have to decide who will be giving up his or her parliamentary seat to make way for the co-option of Dr Muscat in the House.
Dr Muscat will also have to resign his position as MEP. This brings the Joe Debono Grech case to the fore again, as the veteran Labour MP could be among those who replaces Dr Muscat in Brussels, having contested the MEP election in 2004.
The MLP needs to sort out this and more before it starts forming its own plans and updating its policies in view of what Dr Muscat himself has placed as the party’s main priority – that of winning the next election.