Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1199625
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 JANUARY 2020 NEWS Fearne has been active within the PL since his youth but he acquired political visibility when Muscat became Labour leader in 2008. At the time, Fearne addressed a protest meeting against the rising cost of living. From then on, Fearne has been on the rise as a politi- cian, winning his first election in 2013 and getting elected into parliament. Appointed first as a parliamentary sec- retary for health in 2014, the Panama Papers scandal which saw Konrad Mizzi's health and energy portfolio taken away, saw Fearne take his place as health minister. In a race for deputy leader for parliamentary affairs where he was the dark horse, Fearne beat Edward Scicluna and Helena Dalli for the role. His swift scaling of the politi- cal ladder in the last few years under Muscat's administration saw Fearne take some strong decisions, especially when he asked the Auditor General to probe the multi-million hos- pitals concession deal with Vitals Global Healthcare bro- kered by Mizzi, who he slowly distanced himself from. Fearne has promised for jus- tice to be done without fear or favour and ruled out a return to cabinet for Mizzi. His cam- paign has been characterised by a call for rectitude and a no-nonsense approach. He has banked on his experience in government, roping in the support of Cabinet members. Robert Abela is, compara- tively, a newcomer: his po- litical foray can be traced back to a PL meeting before the 2013 general election, delivering a hard-hitting speech against then Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi. This was a time when Gonzi had appointed Abela's fa- ther, George Abela, as pres- ident. Gonzi's decision was unprecedented at the time when he appointed a presi- dent from the opposing po- litical camp. Abela's veritable political career took off in 2017 when he accepted to contest the general election. While he was elected, he refused an offer to join the cabinet as a parliamentary secretary, choosing instead to pursue his legal career, which in- cluded a retainer with the Planning Authority. Besides this, Abela was also appointed as an advi- sor to Muscat with a right to attend cabinet meet- ings, while his name often cropped up as Muscat's pos- sible successor. His campaign has prom- ised a return to Labour's ideological roots. Abela has ruled out a Cabinet post for Konrad Mizzi and pledged continuity while making the necessary changes to strengthen good govern- ance. His was a simple, peo- ple's campaign that tugged at the heartstrings of the party hard-core. CHRIS FEARNE ROBERT ABELA The Candidates Muscat resignation The election was made necessary after Muscat announced that he would be stepping down in December in the aftermath of damning court testimony that implicated his former chief-of-staff Keith Schembri in Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder. Muscat admitted the exit was not what he hoped for amid mounting protests demanding his immediate resignation. He claimed that he "paid the highest price" in leaving as he did. Muscat's landslide, back-to-back, electoral triumphs in the midst of great economic success contrasted heavily with a Prime Minister who at the end of 2019 was met with a barrage of eggs, vegetables, and sonorous boos every time he exited parliament. The murder of Caruana Galizia cast an indelible stain on Muscat and his administration. This paved the way for a two-way contest featuring Fearne and Abela who both evinced a strong and competitive desire to lead during their separate campaigns. The new leader will not only captain the Labour Party but will also become prime minister and lead Malta's thirteenth legislature. Early voting took place last Wednesday. Who is the favourite to win? Chris Fearne's campaign had its controversial moments. Fearne raised eyebrows when he mocked the Nationalist Party at a time when national unity and sobriety were expected. "In 2008, I vowed and — today, I'll do the same with you as my witnesses — that the National- ists will not govern for as long as I live. When I die, they could write on my grave that the PN were never elected. Instead of RIP, they could write RIPN," he had said during a political event in Paola. A few days later, his opponent, Robert Abela, filed a vote tampering complaint. He claimed that unauthorised persons had added people to the list of eligible voters. The PL's electoral commis- sion ruled out the possibility of tampering after investigating Abela's complaint. Despite the false steps and the non-optimal delivery, Fearne started the campaign way ahead of his rival. However, a MaltaToday survey held among PL members on 2 and 3 January, put Fearne's support at 55.4% against Abela's 44.6%. Abela gained ground throughout the campaign and cut the gap further. It is understood that Abela's popularity continued to grow after the Xarabank interview last week.