“That is dangerous for a democratic system. Yes, I was part of the team that brought about those astronomical results but I think that, in the long run, the government and party have embarked on a direction where they started looking at people differently. They needed a shock this time round.”

Gafà said that between three to five PL MPs admitted to him in confidence that they spoiled their votes at the last MEP and local council election because they were concerned at the implications of a large gap.

“They had to vote, because one would imagine the PL would have found out if they hadn’t, but they decided to spoil their votes because they believe the time has come for the party to stop winning with such majorities. They became so arrogant, even on a government level, that they needed a shock to make it more humble.”

“These MPs didn’t want to betray the party but to shrink the gap so that it will be more humble when the next election comes around. Now it’s up to the government and the PL to get back on its feet and to start fighting and chasing after people as it did up until two years ago.”

Gafà warned that the situation in the PL has deteriorated to a point that thousands of longstanding activists no longer feel part of the “family”.

“I don’t expect the PL administration to deal with appointment requests overnight, but if four years pass and they can’t find ten minutes for Ġanni Borg, it’s a sign that something is wrong. I’m not talking about the entire administration because some people do genuinely work, but the majority have lost touch with people.”

He pointed a finger at PL CEO Randolph De Battista, who he claimed has closed the PL’s doors to several activists, and strategist Aleander Balzan, who he warned exerts excessive influence over Prime Minister Robert Abela to the point where Balzan takes decisions on major issues such as Cabinet appointments and Parliament co-options.

He was more cautious when discussing the role played by Abela himself, but said it is up to the Prime Minister and PL leader to ensure that the “practically irreparable” damage to the party is fixed as soon as possible.

Gafà also warned that a culture of fear has infiltrated the party, and party officials are scared to voice criticism of the leadership, even internally, out of fear of punishment.

“During executive meetings, everyone just sits down and nobody speaks out because most of them have a government job and don’t want to be the ones to raise a finger out of fear of repercussion,” he said.

“In the past, the leader would allow everyone to speak freely, there was a mixture of elements, and we weren’t scared of criticising. However, the PL is now gripped by fear, and even these MPs [who spoiled their votes] are proof of this because they insisted that they not be quoted.”