Nominations are now closed for the upcoming Labour party elections in September

Nominations for the upcoming Labour Party elections, scheduled to take place on September 13 and 14, have now closed.

Each role open was filled with either one or two people contesting whilst the executive members, open for 12 members, received 38 nominations.

President

On Saturday, former TVM head of news Normal Saliba announced she is to run for the post of Labour Party president.

Lawyer Alex Sciberras, the son of the late judge Philip Sciberras, said on Friday that he would also be contesting the post.

On the other hand, Ishmael Psaila said that he will not be contesting for the position of President of the administration. In the beginning of the month, he had confirmed he was considering seeking election.

"Although I believe that the legal profession and the political role should not be mixed together, I am only interested in the good of the Party because no one is greater [than the party]," he stated on a facebook post on Sunday afternoon right after nominations closed.

Deputy Leader

Labour’s former MEP Josianne Cutajar confirmed that she will not be contesting for the position of Labour deputy leader for party affairs.

Her announcement came on the day the nominations for the executive roles within the Labour party closed, leaving only Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba the only candidate running for the post.

In a Facebook post, Cutajar thanked all those who supported and approached her to contest for the role in the past few weeks.

"After having considered all the circumstances at length, as well as the decisions taken concerning this process, I choose to continue my commitment in favour of what I believe in a different manner."

Earlier this month, the former MEP came out against the proposed changes to the party’s statute to allow sitting MPs or MEPs to occupy the role of deputy leader for party affairs.

She said there must be space for those who share the party’s stated principles, and highlighted there are many “genuine people” who wish to contribute to the party. Cutajar added the party must focus on the real inclusion of people with different backgrounds and not simply “tokenism”.

“There must be work on the progress and renewal of the way politics is conducted and the way the political message is delivered to address the current realities of the party and government,” she said.

Vice President

Louis Gatt has submitted his nomination for the Vice President position. The position will allow the person in the role to act in the absence of the president, whilst overseeing certain projects within the party.

Louis Gatt is currently Head of Secretariat in the Ministry for Social Policy and Children’s Rights

International Secretary

The role of International Secretary oversees the representation of Malta on an international level.

A few minutes before the nominations closed on Sunday, Georvin Bugeja placed his nomination for the role.

He has previously served as the President of the Labour Youths where he was recognized for his leadership and engagement with young people in politics.

Apart from this, Bugeja holds a position in public service as the Head of Secretariat for the Parliamentary Secretariat for Equality and Reforms since April 2020.

The advisor within the Ministry for the Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects John Grech has also placed his name for this role.

Grech currently holds the role of Advisor at the Ministry for the Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects, where he contributes to shaping economic policies and initiatives.

He previously held the role as Head of Secretariat for the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure until January 2024.

Organisation Secretary

William Lewis will be contesting for the Organisation Secretary. Lewis is an architect and founder of Company Perit William Lewis which specializes in civil engineering.

Executive Members

The Commission also welcomed the nominations for Twelve Members in the National Executive of the Labor Party where thirty-eight members submitted their nomination

In an interview on ONE radio on Sunday, Prime Minister Robert Abela said he was impressed by how many people showed interest in joining the party in its top positions.