Mifsud blames intra-party rivalry for non-election

Kurt Sansone
Writing in Monday evening’s edition of maltastar.com former Super One and former Mid Med Bank chairman Alfred Mifsud expressed regret at not being elected to parliament because of what he claimed was the "viciously dishonest" behaviour of other MLP candidates.
The financial consultant also said that he would consider giving his service to the Labour Party in an official position "within a new leadership formation."
On a personal note Mifsud said that despite gathering 3,000 votes on two districts in his first-ever electoral contest the result fell short of his "minimum objectives" of making it to parliament.
Mifsud pinned the blame on intra-party rivalry and said that "competing colleagues" branded him as a "source of potential instability" because of his outspoken nature. On a number of issues Mifsud publicly expressed his reservations on stands taken by the Labour Party. He was on the forefront to campaign for the retention of VAT and had also proposed the holding of a referendum on EU membership after a general election at a time when the MLP was still undecided on whether to boycott the referendum.
Mifsud said fellow MLP candidates, competing with him on the fourth and seventh districts used his statements, to bad-mouth him with Labour voters.
Acrimoniously Mifsud added: "I sacrificed my interest for those of the party and can walk with my head up high knowing that I remained totally loyal by deed not just words to the ultimate objectives of the party and the grassroots that have been deceitfully alienated from me."
Mifsud argued that the election result must be seen within a wider perspective that spans the whole scenario since Labour’s milestone objective achieved in 1979.
"Since then we have failed to get an absolute majority of votes in five of the six general elections contested. In the only election we managed a majority of votes, events proved that Labour could not manage such a majority as it could not organise the whole party behind a post-1979 inspiration," Mifsud said.
He insisted that the Labour Party must "analyse what objective will unite the whole party behind a new mission that will appeal to the majority of the electorate."
Mifsud reaffirmed his commitment to continue militating within Labour. However, Mifsud insisted that he needed time to decide on how best to help the MLP and even put forward the possibility of occupying an official post in the party subject to a new leadership formation.
"This is a personal decision that needs to be taken calmly, soberly and after deep reflection," Mifsud concluded his article.
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