The two major posts in the Malta Labour Party executive were retained by Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi and Jason Micallef, the latter comfortably winning the election for secretary general – albeit without an absolute majority.
Louis Gatt was also reconfirmed as vice-president while Joe Mifsud lost the position of international secretary to former incumbent Alex Sceberras Trigona, who was also a former minister in the Mintoff administrations.
The counting process was thrown into turmoil on Monday night as the Gozo Channel Co. vessel aboard which the Gozo votes were being transported broke down and had to re-enter Mgarr harbour.
The boxes containing the votes were transferred onto another ferry and this delayed the counting process by at least two hours.
Sorting and counting was due to start at about 10.30pm on Monday night, but did not begin until 12.30am on Tuesday morning. The official results were not announced until close to 3am yesterday.
Out of the 828 valid votes cast for the post of party president, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi won comfortably with 593 (71.6 per cent), compared to Wenzu Mintoff’s 235 (28.4 per cent). There were four invalid votes and nine abstentions.
The role of vice-president also went to the incumbent, with Louis Gatt winning 459 votes (55.2 per cent) compared to challenger Alexander Sciberras’s 373 votes (44.8 per cent). There was one invalid vote and eight abstentions.
Jason Micallef was re-elected to the post of secretary general with 370 votes (44.3 per cent). He fought off competition from Alfred Grixti (229 votes, 27.4 per cent), Joe Vella Bonnici (224 votes, 26.7 per cent) and Keith Grech (14 votes, 1.6 per cent). Gino Cauchi and Joe Chetcuti were due to contest the post, but pulled out of the race last week. There were three invalid votes and one abstention.
Mr Micallef was the only official to be elected without obtaining an absolute majority of votes. The MLP statute stipulates that only one election is held for the administrative posts, with the contender obtaining the highest number of votes being elected. This is contrary to what happens for the election of the party leader and deputy leaders, where an absolute majority is needed for the contenders to be elected.
Mr Micallef’s election confirmed pre-election speculation that he would be the favourite to be elected as secretary general if there were four or more contestants. Between them, Mr Grixti and Mr Vella Bonnici obtained more votes than Mr Micallef, but he was declared the winner.
A new financial secretary was elected in the form of Joseph Cordina with 457 votes (54.7 per cent). His three rivals Jeffrey Camilleri, Frans Chircop and Tommy Dimech garnered 155 (18.5 per cent), 115 (13.7 per cent) and 109 votes (13.1 per cent) respectively. There were five abstentions out of the 841 votes cast.
Alex Sceberras Trigona returned to the executive in the post he occupied three decades ago – international secretary – with 436 votes (52 per cent) compared to outgoing international secretary Joe Mifsud with 380 votes (45.3 per cent). Lorna Vassallo took 23 votes (2.7 per cent). There were two abstentions out of 841 votes cast.
Aaron Farrugia is the new education secretary, winning with 637 votes (76.4 per cent) compared to 197 (23.6 per cent) votes for Anthony Degiovanni. There were two invalid votes and five abstentions.
Ray Azzopardi is public relations secretary. He was the sole contender for the post and was elected automatically.
Prior to voting in Monday’s session, MLP leader Joseph Muscat spoke about the condition of critically ill MP Karl Chircop. He said that Dr Chircop was stable, but still critical. He thanked parliamentary secretary Joe Cassar and opposition MP Michael Farrugia for helping Dr Chircop’s family, Adriana and their four young children, through the ordeal.
PN congratulates
Jason Micallef
The Nationalist Party yesterday congratulated Jason Micallef on his re-election as Labour Party general secretary, and the other officials who were elected to their posts.
Mr Micallef’s counterpart at the PN, Paul Borg Olivier, augured that Mr Micallef would carry out political work in the national interest at a period when the country was carrying out important “reforms and changes” which should continue strengthening the country’s economy and quality of life.
AD secretary general Victor Galea congratulated all officials elected to the MLP executive. He said: “I sincerely hope that the choice of Labour’s officials will mean that the diversity of opinions in our country is respected and that different ideas are seen as enriching political debate.”