Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1517531
10 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 MARCH 2024 NEWS Labour insiders talk of meltdown: 'Rudderless, LABOUR propagandist Emanuel Cus- chieri has become the wild card in the ongoing striptease Joseph Muscat is per- forming on a possible candidature for the European election. Cuschieri upped the ante last week with a declaration that sowed confusion among the Labour Party's rank and file, including ministers and MPs. But the ongoing Muscat saga is rem- iniscent of what appears to be a wider malaise within what functionaries have described as a "rudderless party". In a Facebook Live message, Cuschie- ri claimed businessmen were blocking Muscat's candidature and threatened to name them unless they stopped "inter- fering in internal PL issues". Cuschieri has so far provided no proof to substantiate the allegation, which went unchallenged by the PL's leader- ship. In the same broadcast, Cuschieri al- so claimed that a joint meeting of the parliamentary group and the executive that had to decide on Rosianne Cuta- jar's reintegration was cancelled at the last minute. But Cuschieri, who has made it clear that he wants Muscat to be a candidate for the 8 June election, is causing dis- quiet within the PL. Matters getting out of hand Several Labour ministers and MPs, who were granted anonymity to speak candidly about internal matters, told MaltaToday they were uncomfortable with Cuschieri's obsession and the pro- tracted Muscat saga. A member of Cabinet believes the matter has "got out of hand" with Cus- chieri's "constant rambling" on Joseph Muscat. "I find it unfair that he is now roping us in and saying things which aren't true about the parliamentary group be- cause a meeting was never scheduled for Monday as he claimed," the Cabinet member said. The source added: "Emanuel Cus- chieri is like a man who split up with a girlfriend and can't get over her. Joseph Muscat is the past and we must accept that." The source doubts whether Muscat will contest the European election but in a passing comment reflecting the un- certainty that currently prevails within the party, added: "But you never know." A member of the PL executive rub- bished Cuschieri's claim that a joint meeting of the executive and the parlia- mentary group was cancelled. "On Monday (11 March) there was a meeting of the executive committee that did take place but this had been scheduled several days before as a meet- ing of the executive alone with no in- volvement of the parliamentary group," the source said. He was left flabbergasted by Cuschie- ri's claim. "Unless Manuel Cuschieri knows something that I do not, I cannot understand why he said that the par- liamentary group and executive had to meet," the source said. Fireworks in the administration A backbench MP could not understand what Cuschieri meant by his statement that businesspersons were blocking Muscat's candidature but insisted there are "fireworks" in the higher echelons of the party. "There isn't agreement among the party's top brass as to whether Joseph Muscat should contest," the source said. "Joseph Muscat could spell trouble for Labour, but certain MPs are yet to speak out on whether they agree or not with his return." The source was alluding to the grow- ing feeling that Muscat's foray into the political scene with a rousing speech at MEP Alex Agius Saliba's campaign launch has dented the stature of Robert Abela. A second Cabinet member said they were in the dark on the issue. "The Cab- inet has zero knowledge of these ma- noeuvres and we have no idea what will happen," the source said. This is a feeling shared by others in the Cabinet, who have no visibility on Abe- la's thinking. Unclear path forward When asked back in January about a Muscat candidature the Prime Minister said he will not be the one to stand in his way. However, Michelle Muscat had claimed during a campaign event or- ganised by MEP candidate Claudette Abela Baldacchino that her husband had made up his mind and it was now up to the Labour leadership to decide. A third Cabinet member told Malta- Today the situation was complicated because Labour supporters still love Jo- seph Muscat. "The excitement for his return is un- derstandable but the Cabinet has no say in the decision and we are in the dark over what will happen," the source said. KURT SANSONE & KARL AZZOPARDI ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt • kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt