Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1525176
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 AUGUST 2024 ANALYSIS Abela's tightrope: Keep rivals close, Robert Abela stopped Jason Micallef becoming one of Labour's two deputy leaders, averting a risk for his party's appeal to moderate voters. But with a compromise candidate from Brussels, JAMES DEBONO asks if Joseph Muscat is calling the shots in a troika that lacks good party chemistry US presidential candidate Kamala Harris gave one main reason for choosing Gover- nor Tim Walz, a charming moderate who has ticked all the progressive boxes, as her running mate: the "great chemistry" be- tween the two politicians in what increas- ingly looks like a joyful ride to victory. Walz is not an attack dog, but someone Harris believes she could work with long- term and who, crucially, appeals to both the moderate and progressive wings of her party. In short, she did what Labour leader Jo- seph Muscat did in 2012 when he replaced firebrand Anglu Farrugia with the charm- ing and widely respected Louis Grech as the new deputy leader for parliamentary affairs. Of course, Prime Minister Robert Abela has no such luxury in an unprecedent tu- multuous time for his party. Labour in 2024 finds itself in an apparent tug of war between its government caste, and vocal activists who appear in thrall of disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat. It is a battle to frame a party nar- rative that is suffering blowback from the prosecutions of former Cabinet ministers on the Vitals-Steward hospitals saga. With the resignation of Chris Fearne because of prosecutions, elections have opened for the deputy leadership for par- liamentary affairs. But heads have been 'rolling' since Labour's super-majority was normalised down in the 2024 European elections: deputy leader for party affairs Daniel Micallef stepped down, as did La- bour's CEO, also MP, Randolph de Battista, Abela's policy advisor Aleander Balzan, and other party operatives. With a party machinery entirely absorbed by Labour's overbearing government appa- ratus, the party finds itself in need of a new deputy leader for party affairs whose voice could be crucial in either cementing the siege mentality of an embattled administra- tion or a critical alternative to the yes-man mentality. Abela cannot choose his own deputy lead- ers on a whim – the final choice lies with party delegates whose tradition is to select a deputy leader for party affairs that can keep the leadership in check; someone in tune with the rank and file rather than the elec- torate at large. Their verdict is far from infallible, and Abela has had reason to fear the worst - the election of Jason Micallef, the former Labour secretary-general, charismatic but divisive, would have placed an attack dog apparently doing Joseph Muscat's bidding inside the troika. By securing Micallef's exit from the race and opening the door for a candidacy by the popular Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba – ostensibly a compromise candidate – it is unclear how far Abela has averted disaster. For the Labour administrative committee has now appointed Micallef a special dele- gate to oversee the implementation of the party's electoral manifesto, arguably a role that places him on the ground while Agius Saliba is busy in Brussels. But what sort of chemistry exists between Abela and Agius Saliba? Labour's emerging strongman Agius Saliba certainly ticks a number of boxes. He is liked within the Labour cohort of vot- ers, securing nearly 60,000 votes in recent MEP elections. He is also competent, having worked on drafting EU legislation on various topics, including workers' right to discon- nect and consumer rights, and in doing so, he has confronted powerful international lobbies. He even had no qualms in challeng- ing local importers when he asked the Euro- pean Commission to investigate their pric- ing. And he has spoken his mind on issues of development in Comino, a stance which suggests a willingness to address the party's disconnect with local communities. And while Agius Saliba can also flex his muscles aggressively in confronting the Op- position, a challenge he naturally relishes, unlike Jason Micallef he is conditioned by his own future political ambitions further up in the party leadership. In short, he can act as the party's attack dog, without going overboard. And this may have been Abela's calcula- tion - keeping potential rivals close enough to be able to keep them on a leash. One major concern Agius Saliba must address is that given his role as head of the PL's MEP delegation, he will be unable to Daniel Micallef said in June that he will be stepping down as the Labour Party's deputy leader for party affairs. His announcement came mere days after the party's poor showing in the European election on 8 June, but he insisted that he informed Robert Abela of this decision some two years prior. Daniel Micallef Jason Micallef Jason Micallef is Labour's former secretary- general, and on 2 August he officially filed his candidature to return to a leadership position in the party in the form of deputy leader. His nomination was widely believed to be backed by Joseph Muscat. Alex Agius Saliba After meeting with Robert Abela, Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba said he would support a proposal to change the party statute to allow MPs and MEPs to contest for deputy leadership. This prompted Jason Micallef to withdraw his deputy leadership nomination. Two days later, he was appointed a special delegate of the party to oversee the implementation of its electoral manifesto. Alex Sciberras Josianne Cutajar Sciberras and Cutajar came out publicly against a change in statute that will allow MPs to contest the post. Both had been considering contesting the post. VACANCY: DEPUTY LEADER Randolph De Battista On 8 August, De Battista announced that he will be stepping down as CEO of the Labour Party after serving in the role for five years. Two months earlier, when speculation was brewing around a possible resignation from his end, De Battista had hinted that he intended to remain int he position after the disappointing MEP election result. Leonid McKay A day later, the Labour Party announced that McKay will be appointed CEO instead of De Battista. McKay had been appointed CEO of Jobsplus last March, and was earlier the chief executive of the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis. Nigel Vella The new CEO announcement caught many by surprise, not least its former spokesperson Nigel Vella. Vella was being touted as the next CEO, and when the news came out that McKay will take on the role, he took to Facebook with a cryptic post suggesting that he felt discarded through the whole ordeal. APPOINTMENT: CEO