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Update 2 | MEP Louis Grech expected to be the only contestant for deputy leader
Labour MEP Louis Grech is believed to enjoy the backing of senior Labour officials.
21 December 2012, 12:00am
Miriam Dalli
Miriam Dalli
2 min read
Labour MEP Louis Grech.
Last updated at 9:30pm to add Facebook comments by Labour MPs Chris Cardona and Owen Bonnici.
Labour MEP Louis Grech has submitted his nomination for the election of the deputy leadership post to take place within the Labour Party next week.
Grech is expected to be the sole contestant. His candidature is backed by the highest echelons within the party who see his moderate and business-friendly views an asset with the floating voters.
On Facebook, Labour MP Chris Cardona confirmed that he nominated Grech, while Labour MP Karmenu Vella seconded the nomination.
"I will give him [Louis Grech] my full and unconditional support," Cardona said, adding that Labour will be "a united team to guarantee a uniting future".
Other potential candidates started to shy away from submitting their nomination after it was clear that Grech enjoyed widespread support of the Labour HQ. His choice is being perceived as an attempt to woo the floating voter and disgruntled Nationalists.
The 65-year-old MEP from Hamrun was immediately touted as the Labour delegates' preferred choice for a deputy leader that will match Joseph Muscat's aspirations to win government in the 2013 election.
With vast experience in the tourism industry, Grech's involvement in Air Malta dates back to 1973. He was then appointed Chief Executive Office of Air Malta in 1997.
Considered to be business-friendly, Grech has in the past provided consultancy in various sectors ranging from industrial relations, to tourism, manufacturing, and financing to marketing.
Nominations for the PL's deputy leadership post for parliamentary affairs open today Friday after Anglu Farrugia tendered his resignation yesterday, which fuelled different theories as to why he was asked to resign.
While Labour leader Joseph Muscat has insisted that Farrugia's resignation was a direct result of comments he passed over a member of the judiciary, the Nationalist Party has claimed that he was sacked over his "poor performance" in Saturday's Xarabank debate when he was faced off against Simon Busuttil.
Meanwhile, Labour MPs Evarist Bartolo and Owen Bonnici chose to remain mum over their intentions, insisting that this will be known after the nominations close tomorrow.
But posting later on in the evening on Facebook, Bonnici said that he believed that "Louis Grech is the best choice in the current circumstances to complement Joseph Muscat's responsible work".
"Louis Grech enjoys my full respect," Bonnici added.
He went on to thank those who encouraged him to contest the election.
Miriam Dalli joined MaltaToday.com.mt in 2010 becoming assistant editor f...
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@BETTER FUTURE........please try to accept other's opinion. my and many others opinion is that other mps were not allowed to contest because the current circumstances need so. even owen bonnici had said so. for now everyting is kept hidden but in the future god knows what will happen. joseph muscat decided to have louis grech instead of anglu to gain the lost advantage by the election of simon. but there is ways and means how to do things. this is another gaffe by joseph and the pn is going to take advantage of it during the electoral campaign.
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fenea, possibly you cannot help it, but do not be so pathetically blinkered, and perhaps potentially naive. Other Labour contestants clearly explored their possibilities together with their backers, and decided that Grech was a strongly championed contender with most mattered. Therefore, logically they withdrew from even running. Rather different to the sham solo Gonzi race, or the supposedly Simon/Tonio's run, when it was clear Tonio was roped in to provide colour (OK, then it turned a real run which GonziPN lost heavily). What should be of real concern to you, is the wealth of leadership manpower available to the PL!
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If there is anybody who should shoulder responsibility for Air malta is Mr. Lawrence ZAmmt under whose chairmanship Air Malta went bankrupt and he never ever uttered a word how he succeeded to bankrupt air malta. Also responsible more thany all others is DrrAustin Gatt
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If there is anybody who should shoulder responsibility for Air malta is Mr. Lawrence ZAmmt under whose chairmanship Air Malta went bankrupt and he never ever uttered a word how he succeeded to bankrupt air malta. Also responsible more thany all others is DrrAustin Gatt
Luke Camilleri •
Louise Grech being voted Tourism Personality of the Year” fl-2002, and “Best Maltese MEP” in 2006 is good enough for me.... for the PL and most of all for MALTA!
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lESSEReuCITIZEN: Your trick will not work ! Louis Grech's expected election as deputy-leader will wreak havoc among GonziPN's plans, which were targeted on Dr. Ang. Farrugia. Louis Grech's track-record is far superior to anything Simon"morru ghand tal-grocer"Busuttil can produce ! Intelligent voters can see through Simon Busuttil's facade. While they will appreciate the PL's choice.May GonziPN's strategists try to throw mud at him, it will surely boomerang back on their own faces !
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Kulhadd hu liberu li jikkontesta, bhal ma sar fil-PL fi snin l-imghoddija. Kwantu ghal JM handhom ragun in-Nazzjonalisti jmaqqdruh ghax dejjem kiexef il-qerq, dizonesta`, abbuzi u n-nuqqas ta' trasparenza taghhom. Jekk jerga jitla l-PN nergaw naraw l-istess klikka ta` hbieb tal-hbieb jghixu minn fuq daharna.
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I totally agree with you LesserEUCitizen (except for the misused idom in the first sentence).
Luke Camilleri •
SIMPLY THE BEST!
Xejn anqas minn THE BEST ghal kariga ta' Vici Kap ghal PL -
Grech kien mogħti l-premju “Tourism Personality of the Year” fl-2002, u l-premju “Best Maltese MEP” fl-2006.
Mhux certifikat bizzejjed? :)
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It seems that Gonzipn are already not comfortable with
with Louis Grech.
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Ha, ha, ha x'tistenna mill-bikkejja tal-PN li dejjem lesti biex jikkrikaw u jibku, tghid dawn imhalsin biex joqghodu jiktbu kulldarba li jkun hemm xi haga li tal-PL ghax mill-partit tal-PN tistenna kollox. Nawgura lill-Louis Grech u lil PL ghax veru hemm bzonn bniedem ta' esperjenza vasta.
Maureen Attard •
Oqghod attent Sur Grech jew jekk ikun hemm xi hadd iehor bhala deputat mexxej, ma jmurx jigrilek bhal Dr Angelo Farrugia fuq tentufa jisfurzak tirrizenja wkoll. Dik demokrazija eh? Il-lupu jibdel sufu, imma mhux eghmilu.
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Grech is undoubtedly better than Anglu Farrugia (not too difficult) but he's too Old Labour, too ancient, to attract young voters. As a Nationalist, I'm glad it's not going to be Owen Bonnici.
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partit maghqud meta ghandek mps mhux jithallew jikkontestaw lil louis grech. joseph muscat ghax kien jaf li se jitlef l-elezzjoni warrab lil anglu biex ikollu lil louis grech. imma issa tard wisq il froga l-ahqet saret.
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LesserEUCitizen. Louis Grech would love to spill the beans at what the PN were up to at Air Malta when their protege Jos Tabone bought the RJs and invested in AzzurAir. And what are you mumbling about, mentioning Cardona? Chris Cardona proposed Louis Grech, and therefore he's not contesting. Evarist has already declared he is not interested. Check your facts before you open your trap. If you feel as a Lesser EU Citizen as your pen name suggests, then join some eurosceptic movement an stop saying stupid things to vent your frustration.
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They have done it again - labour will grasp defeat out of certain victim. What the hell is wrong with them? PN would probably love to spill the beans on what Grech was up to at Airmalta - but they will do their best to see him elected as deputy leader - knowing full well it will be a massive auto-goal. Cardona should probably explain his business relations with PN esponents - which might be motivating him to support such a lousy choice of candidate.
Evarist Bartolo would be a tremendous choice - someone who stands for something, and not personal gain and Bartolo actually has a brain.
Dr. Muscat - for the love of God! Don't screw this one up at the last minute.
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Sorry ta ... kif tistghu tqabblu mal-buffonata ta' Gonzi jtellaq wahdu. F'dak il-kaz lanqas vacancy ma' kien hemm ghax Gonzi qatt ma rrizenja. F'dan il-kaz Dr. Farrugia kien gentleman bizzejjed u irrizenja u Dr. Muscat kien sod bizzejjed biex talab din ir-rizenja. Lawrence Gonzi baqa' jkaxkar saqajh u biex taparsi ghandu l-appogg tal-PN kollu tellaq wahdu .... imissu tilef ukoll!!!! Halluna tridux.
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dik demokrazija u fairness hadd ma jista jew jithalla jikkontesta ma louis grech......moviment hieles modern u progressiv.
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@ fenea
U xi zbalji ghamel Joseph Muscat? semmielna l- zbalji li ghamel u tkunx pappagall!! Tant mexxieh tajjeb il- partit li sahansitra nies li dejjem kienu nazzjonalisti ser johorgu ghall elezzjoni mal labour. Ahjar taraw l- inkwiet intern u il-hmieg li ghandkhom intom fil partit, sahansitra xmun busittil ammetta li kellu attakki feroci kontrieh min nies tal bejatu tonio fenech.
Sfaxxalkhom il- pjan li tippruvaw tahbu il- leader tghakhom billi id-debates isiru bejn id-deputies, dan ippruvajtu tghamluh ghax tafu li gonzi mhux kapaci u kull meta ikun f` debate jippanikja u jigdeb biex minghalieh jirbah id-dibattitu.
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@ fenea. Your statements that Labour is divided is only wishful thinking on your part. The likes of you are always saying that Joseph is making one mistake after another, but nobody is saying what the mistakes are. About Louis Grech, he will make an excellent deputy leader for Labour, and i bet Simon is already biting at his nails in expectation of the next debate on Xarabank.
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joseph muscat ilu 4 snin jitmejjel bina u jghid li ghandu team maghqud u issa irrizulta partit mifrud. muscat qed jghamel zball wiehed wara l-iehor u warrab lil anglu biex ifittex forcina fuq min jistrieh. louis grech huwa bla dubju bniedem validu hafna. imma jekk joseph muscat se jmexxi lil malta bhal ma qed imexxi il partit.........ma tantx jawgura tajjeb.
Luke Camilleri •
Get the aquarium and heavy make-up ready for Simon's debate on Xarabank, Pepp!
Maybe Peppi will even let in Franco Debono in the audience if he is a good boy!
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Tkelmu wara li jalqu nominazzjonijiet. Wara kollox GONZI mhux wahdu tellaq
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wahdu? basta jghiru lil haddiehor.
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mela tal labour itellqu wahedhom?????? min jitkaza jaqa fil kaza.
