Mizzi expected to be uncontested in Labour deputy leadership vote

Relative newcomer Konrad Mizzi will probably be an uncontested candidate for the post of Labour’s deputy leadership for party affairs according to sources close to the Office of the Prime Minister.

The energy and health minister, who was elected to Parliament in his first attempt in 2013, is expected to be unanimously approved at the party’s next general conference at the weekend. 

Mizzi – one of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s most trusted lieutenants – is said to have decided of his own free will to contest and his decision was embraced by Muscat.  

The energy minister has made it very clear to party insiders that his only interest is to modernise the party and insisted he has no leadership aspirations.

He will be replacing Toni Abela, who was nominated for the European Court of Auditors. During his eight-year tenure Abela has been very popular with the party grass roots, especially with veterans, but he had not been heavily involved in the organisational structure of the party since this was the remit of the CEO.

His departure was catalysed by an open secret that he was finding the political pressure too much to handle and that he wanted a change. But in spite of his fiery character he remained loyal to Muscat.

Labour insiders have described the state of the party as pitiable and there has also been much criticism for CEO and former Labour MP Gino Cauchi, who has failed to galvanise change in the party structure and lacks the popularity to attract more volunteers and members to the party.

The dire state of the party structure has attracted the attention of the Prime Minister, who has expressed his concern that without a strong party structure he will suffer at the polls.

Konrad Mizzi has been widely acclaimed for his energetic and unorthodox style. Besides being popular with the party’s hardcore for piloting the energy tariff reduction, his flair and delivery interspersed with English idioms have also endeared him to switchers.

But he has also been taken to task for the employment of his wife Sai Mizzi on the government payroll and the long drawn implementation of the new power station.  

Nonetheless he remains one of Muscat’s more reputable ministers and achievers and his election would mean that together with deputy leader for parliamentary affairs Louis Grech, the triumvirate would form a formidable team for the next election.