A casual election will be held on the third electoral district to fill the Parliamentary seat vacated by Labour MP Silvio Grixti.

The election will take place on Tuesday 4 January, the Electoral Commission said.

Grixti resigned last week after it emerged that he had been investigated by the police financial crimes unit over fraudulent medical certificates. The doctor said he was stepping down but would work to clear his name.

The Electoral Commission said it shall be receiving nominations between Monday and Friday.

The favourite to replace Grixti is Marsascala mayor Mario Calleja. He had been eliminated in the 19th count with 506 votes.

Contacted by The Malta Independent, Calleja said he was still considering whether to contest the casual election. “This is a good thing and I stand a good chance of getting elected, but I must discuss this with my family and also consider the fact that my term as Marsascala mayor expires in six months.”

The other candidates who were not elected in the 2017 election are Edric Micallef, Kenneth Spiteri, Marion Mizzi and Sebastian Dalli.

A casual election was held on the same district in 2019, when Helena Dalli resigned from the House of Representatives to take up the post of European Commissioner. She had been replaced by Jean Claude Micallef.