Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis and Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi are likely candidates for the post of Labour Party deputy leader.

The post will be vacated after Toni Abela has been nominated to replace Louis Galea at the European Xourt of Auditors.

Dr Zammit Lewis told this newsroom that he does not exclude contesting the race for Labour Party Deputy Leader. 

“I will follow the developments in the coming hours and days and will see where I could provide the best service for the party and government”.

Asked whether he knows of other potential candidates, he said that he has no idea at this stage.

Another likely candidate is Konrad Mizzi, who enjoys great support among Labour delegates. But even Zammit Lewis, a close friend to Dr Muscat, is seen as an ideal candidate.

In a surprise announcement, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat recently said that PL Deputy Leader Toni Abela has been nominated for a post on the European Court of Auditors, to replace Louis Galea.

One day after the nomination was announced, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat used a political activity to portray Dr Abela’s ousting as Labour’s deputy leader for party affairs as an opportunity to refresh the party structures and bring about meaningful change.

Dr Muscat had spoken of the need to modernise the PL's structures in the wake of Dr Abela's departure. "One impediment was that the deputy leader for party affairs cannot contest the general election or be a Member of Parliament. I believe the idea served us well in past years, but the time has come to remove the idea that the PL and parliamentary group work separately."

The Labour Party’s extraordinary conference, which will be held this Friday, will not feature the election of a new Deputy Leader, sources close to the Labour Party told this newsroom.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said he would be proposing a change in party statute to allow Members of Parliament to run for PL Deputy Leader.

A change in party statute would then lead to an election to replace Toni Abela. The Labour Party announced last night that the election will be held on 25 February.