David Thake and Graziella Galea are the main contenders for the seat that will be vacated by Simon Busuttil later on this year when he takes up the post of secretary general of the European People’s Party.

Contacted by The Malta Independent, David Thake confirmed his intention to submit his nomination for the by-election. Contacted, Graziella Galea said that she does not know how the votes will be distributed but added that her intention is to contest. She said that she remained active in the party the past years.

Busuttil, a former Nationalist Party leader, will be moving away in March, and will resign his seat in the Maltese Parliament, it was announced on Tuesday.

He will need to be replaced, with an election to be held among the unelected candidates of the 12^th district, which Busuttil will vacate. Busuttil had also been elected from the 11^th district in the 2017 election, but he had conceded that seat to retain the one he gained in the 12^th.

David Thake was the last Nationalist Party candidate to be eliminated in the 12^th district, with Graziella Galea before him.

It is not a given that the last candidate to be eliminated takes up a seat in Parliament. It must be remembered that all candidates who submit their candidacy for the post start from zero.

Other candidates who could vie for the post are Sam Abela, Simone Aquilina, Mark Azzopardi, Duncan Bonnici, Salvu Mallia, Anne Marie Muscat Fenech Adami and Edward Torpiano.