Labour shuts media out of Friday’s extraordinary general conference

Journalists will not be invited for the Labour Party’s extraordinary general conference on Friday, party president Ramona Attard has confirmed.

The conference was called by the party executive to discuss an amendment to the statute that would allow MPs to contest the post of deputy leader party affairs.

The decision not to invite the media to cover a general conference of sorts is ostensibly a first for a major political party.

“The executive decided not to invite the media to cover the event to allow delegates the space to speak freely about the motion,” Attard said when contacted on Thursday evening.

She insisted this was an extraordinary general conference and only delegates who have the right to vote will be allowed in.

The statute change is not without its controversy and the decision to keep the media out of the event is testament to this. Evidently, the party does not want the divisions to play out in front of the media.

The PL statute currently bars MPs and MEPs from contesting the deputy leadership post for party affairs.

The latest version was the result of an amendment pushed by PL leader Robert Abela in 2020 that reversed a change promoted by his predecessor Joseph Muscat in 2016. Muscat had pushed for a change in statute because he wanted then minister Konrad Mizzi to occupy the post.

However, Abela backtracked on his previous stand after former secretary general Jason Micallef decided to contest the post.

Abela, who deems Micallef to be a divisive character, wanted someone of stature to take him on and tried to push for a statute change that would have allowed MPs to contest.

Nonetheless, a surprise compromise deal was brokered earlier this week that saw Micallef drop out of the race and make way for Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba to contest instead.

For Agius Saliba to run for the post, the statute will still have to change, a decision party delegates will make behind closed doors on Friday evening.

As part of the compromise, Micallef was on Thursday appointed a special delegate of the administration to oversee the implementation of the electoral manifesto. The role would appear to conflict with that of Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, who is minister responsible for the implementation of the manifesto.

A change to the statute would require a simple majority by the party’s delegates.

Nonetheless, not everyone in the PL agrees the statute should change once more to accommodate MPs.

On Wednesday, former Labour MEP Josianne Cutajar, a prospective candidate for the post, told the Times of Malta she was against the change, saying the role should be held by someone who can devote “undivided attention” and “without perceived favouritism related to [matters concerning their] current or prospective districts.”

The former Labour mayor of Msida, Alex Sciberras, who is “considering” contesting the post of deputy leader party affairs also told MaltaToday on Wednesday that he is against the change.

Sciberras said this is not the time for the party to further dilute its resources, in a clear reference to the dual role Agius Saliba would be expected to fill as MEP and deputy leader.

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