Labour Party invites citizens to help shape its electoral manifesto during Congress<\/p>\n
Party members and the general public are invited to help the Labour Party shape its electoral manifesto and its vision to have a “greater Malta” (as per the Congress’ theme: Malta Aqwa), during the Labour Party’s six-day-long congress, commencing this Sunday.<\/p>\n
In a press conference on Thursday, PL Deputy Leader for Party Affairs and MEP Alex Agius Saliba said that with 11 months left till the “latest date an election can occur,” the Labour Party is obliged by its statute to organise its congress.<\/p>\n
Agius Saliba said that the PL Congress must be organised within a year of the general election.<\/p>\n
The party congress will begin in Ta’ Ċenċ, Gozo on Sunday, 12 April and will run till its closing on Friday, 17 April in Ta’ Qali. The congress will launch and end with speeches from Prime Minister Robert Abela, Agius Saliba said.<\/p>\n
“We will be collecting several ideas so that the PL manifesto is built on people’s true aspirations, so we can have a better Malta than what we have today,” Agius Saliba said.<\/p>\n
The PL MEP said that by sharing their ideas with the Labour Party, people can help foster a “greater Malta” through the country’s long-term strategy, Vision 2050, and make the Maltese islands a better place in terms of the economy, open spaces, energy, and in “the heart and soul” of the party’s movement, the social sector.<\/p>\n
Agius Saliba called upon party members (tesserati), activists, and “even those not within the Labour Party” to use this opportunity “to contribute to have a better Malta.”<\/p>\n
Addressing viewers and listeners, he said that through people’s involvement, the guidelines of the PL electoral manifesto can be built on what they want.<\/p>\n
He said that in the spirit of this open discussion, the theme for the Labour Party’s congress calls for people to participate to write Malta’s next chapter.<\/p>\n
Labour Party President Alex Sciberras said that proper politics is built with the people and this initiative is not just being undertaken for citizens to help shape the party’s upcoming electoral manifesto, but also for them to share their vision for how they want Malta to look like in the coming years.<\/p>\n
Sciberras said that the party’s congress will start in Gozo to enshrine how it wants Gozitan’s voices to be heard.<\/p>\n
Sciberras said that the congress will feature party delegates and councillors, as well as workshops with important themes to get everyone around the table and drive these discussions to build strong politics.<\/p>\n
He added that discussions on the party’s electoral manifesto and its principles have been ongoing within the Labour Party.<\/p>\n
Sciberras ended the press conference by saying that at the end of the congress, party members will take a vote on the principles on which the Labour Party will shape its politics in the near future.<\/p>\n
“Good politics is always built on good dialogue. A greater Malta is not built top-down, it is built together,” Sciberras said.<\/p>\n
This congress has been formally announced as talks of an early general election mount.<\/p>\n
Under Maltese law, the Prime Minister can call an election at a time of his choosing, but at least 33 days must pass between the dissolution of Parliament and voting day.<\/p>\n