Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/943656
KURT SANSONE MANY Labour Party insid- ers have interpreted Joseph Muscat's declaration on Radju Malta's Ghandi Xi Nghid that he will not run for office again, as a sure signal that the race to succeed him is now open. Muscat's emphatic declaration that he will not change his mind on a pledge to quit before the next election was unequivocal, party sources said. "He practically blew the whis- tle and opened the contest for his succession," MaltaToday was told by party insiders. The interview broadcast on 10 February dashed the hopes of many within the party who want Muscat to stay on and lead the party into a third general election in 2022. The Prime Minister's declara- tion opens the way for the two most likely candidates – Deputy Prime Minister and health min- ister Chris Fearne and MEP Miriam Dalli – to start cam- paigning. "It is now a race that will slow- ly gather momentum over the next 12 months," the sources said, adding there may be oth- ers like Transport Minister Ian Borg and MP Robert Abela, who could be interested. However, how the leadership race will unfold is still condi- tioned by Muscat's solid grip on the party and the widespread trust he enjoys. "The campaigning will be low key with candidates establishing important connections within the party and assessing the level of support they enjoy," the sources said. Newspaper post 14 15 10 11 maltatoday today today SUNDAY • 18 FEBRUARY 2018 • ISSUE 954 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY 5 YOUR FIRST READ AND CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT Changing face of Malta SAVIOUR BALZAN SENIOR officers in the Armed Forces of Malta are fearing the rise of the hard right in Italy's elections will pre- cipitate "a serious situation" for Malta in the area of migration and naval res- cues. With polls suggesting Silvio Ber- lusconi's coalition of centre-right and far-right parties will take power in the elections of March, senior AFM of- ficials told this newspaper they were bracing themselves for a return of the so called "mi- grant crisis". "The election of a right- wing government in Italy could spell disaster," top army brass told MaltaTo- day yesterday. "The Maltese Govern- ment could be expected to negotiate to keep its agree- ment on mi- grant rescues with Italy alive, but if this fails it is clear that we will be facing a seri- ous situation." Since the Lampe- dusa tragedy in 2013 and the launch of the Mare Nostrum operation by the Letta administration, Italy has been taking in practically all asylum seek- ers rescued at sea by Maltese army boats in its search and rescue region. But domestic concerns in Italy on immigration, fuelled by instability in Libya and the continued exodus of people from the Syrian civil war, has invigorated the Italian right-wing which is banking on these fears for its key into power. Over the last three years, asylum claims in Malta decreased drasti- cally as more boat migrants were passed into Italian hands. Most asylum claims in Malta have been Libyan nationals fleeing the ongo- ing strife at home, a situa- tion that side-lined migra- tion concerns from the public debate. But this week, for- mer Italian prime minister Silvio B erlu scon i (pictured), w h o s e Forza Ita- lia coali- tion now includes the xenophobic North- ern League and far right Fratelli d'Italia, made specific refer- ence to Malta on the subject of migra- tion. "There is no doubt that migrants who risk their life and cross the Medi- terranean have to be saved. However, we will not accept that all disembark in Italy. Those saved close to Malta will have to be taken to and disem- bark in Malta," he said on Italian channel RAI 3. Harshly criticising an agreement made by the incumbent centre-left government, through which Italy ac- cepted to take all migrants saved in the Mediterranean, Berlusconi said things would be different if his party was elected to government. "It is not on that we continue to shoulder all the burden alone. Other countries that have responsibility for search and rescue will also have to share in the burden," he said. In 2014, Malta and Italy came to an agreement to have Italy take in all mi- grants rescued at sea, including those picked up by Maltese naval assets and inside the Maltese SAR. But speculation has grown on whether the Maltese Government had conceded oil drilling rights to the Ital- ians, even if the Maltese Government has denied such claims. ANALYSIS Italy election PAGES 8-9 JOSEF BUGEJA One in three residents in Malta's largest towns are now foreign PAGE 3 Muscat has blown whistle on leadership race €1.95 INTERVIEW WITH THE GWU BOSS Is the age of union militancy over? Top army brass braced for return of 'migrant crisis' LABOUR PARTY 'THREE BILLBOARDS' removal Unusual speed of enforcement on illegal billboards has enraged OccupyJustice activists after removal of Caruana Galizia posters Edwin Vassallo rallies the conservative vote BACK PAGE Men, women, civil liberties and also football