Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1525930
9 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 28 AUGUST 2024 ANALYSIS While some insiders fear Abela's paranoia and inability to share power, others point out his ability to coexist and thrive in tandem with Chris Fearne despite the fallout from an acrimonious leadership contest in 2020. vide a glimpse into the party's future evolution. While Saliba says she was urged to contest by Abela and is the only woman contesting for a leadership position, Alex Sciberras—the son of the late judge and socialist intellectu- al Philip Sciberras—is widely seen as a dynamic candidate who can appeal to both pro- gressives and moderates and raise the level of discussion in party structures. And while the post of pres- ident is less influential than that of deputy leader, it gives Sciberras the opportunity to raise his stature within party structures, possibly emulating Alfred Sant's ascent in the par- ty after a stint in the same role in the 1980s. Despite his role in Muscat's "winning generation," which swept to power in 2013, Sciber- ras—whose left-wing creden- tials hark back to his activist days in Moviment Graffitti— had drifted away from the par- ty during its scandal-ridden years and is said to have broken ranks with the Muscat clan. In short, he comes across as a clean break, someone who em- bodies Muscat's reformist zeal in civil liberties without having been party to the party's moral collapse. Sciberras could also counter- balance Agius Saliba's moral conservatism on issues like abortion, even if ideology has so far hardly featured in the party's internal debate. On the other hand, Saliba's ex- perience in broadcasting could be seen as an asset in a party that, for the first time, is strug- gling to get its message across. Moreover, if she is not elect- ed, the party risks having all its main leadership posts occupied by men, even if this smacks of tokenism in a contest where both deputy leaders are male. again?