Alfred Sant

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Prime Minister of Malta
Alfred Sant

In office
1996 – 1998
Preceded by	Eddie Fenech Adami
Succeeded by	Eddie Fenech Adami
Born	February 28, 1948 Pietà, Malta
Residence	Birkirkara, Malta
Political party	Malta Labour Party
Religion	Agnostic
Website: www.mlp.org.mt

Alfred Sant (born February 28, 1948) is a Maltese politician, who served as Prime Minister of Malta between 1996 and 1998.

[edit] Personal life

He graduated from the University of Malta as Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics in 1967 and as Master of Science in Physics in the following year. He studied public administration at Institut International d'Administration Publique - ENA in Paris and holds a Master of Business Administration from Boston University Graduate School of Management and a Doctor of Business Administration from Harvard. He also served for some time in the Maltese Public Service in the Malta mission to the EC.

[edit] Politics

He was appointed Chairman of the Department of Information Malta Labour Party in 1982 and, in 1984, President of the Party. In this post he served until 1988. In 1987 he was co-opted in Parliament and was elected to the House in the 1992 elections. In that same year he was elected Leader of the Party and Leader of the Opposition.

The Malta Labour Party (MLP) won the 1996 elections under Sant but Party problems forced him to call early elections in 1998 which the Party lost.

[edit] Referendum controversy

During the run-up to the 2003 referendum on Malta's accession to the European Union, Sant opposed membership and favoured a partnership agreement instead. Sant was also critical of what he called a "sham referendum" insisting that a general election would be enough to settle this issue. Eventually, Sant partially boycotted the referendum by calling on Labour supporters to either vote No, or else abstain or invalidate their vote. He himself abstained from the referendum vote. This helped the Yes side to marginally win the referendum, which result Sant rejected, claiming the Yes did not have the absolute majority of the whole electorate and citing the 1956 Integration Referendum as precedence. He proclaimed that whoever did not vote did not agree with Malta's accession to the EU. When, a month after the referendum, the Malta Labour Party (MLP) again lost the elections, Sant resigned. He did, however, stand for election again and was overwhelmingly re-elected Leader.

Preceded by: Eddie Fenech Adami	Prime Minister of Malta 1996–1998	Succeeded by: Eddie Fenech Adami
Preceded by: Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici	Leader of the Malta Labour Party 1992–	Succeeded by: Current incumbent