Jason Micallef, CEO of the Valletta Cultural Agency and former General Secretary of the Labour Party under Alfred Sant’s leadership, said on Friday through a statement on Facebook that he will be contesting for the post of Deputy Leader for Party Affairs in the upcoming September PL elections.

The post has become available after the resignation of Daniel Micallef soon after the MEP and local council elections.

He said that he has had long days of meetings and discussions and has ultimately decided to “accept the call made to me by a large number of delegates”. He remarked that this was not an easy decision and that he has spoken at length with many people within the party, including Party Leader and Prime Minister Robert Abela.

Robert Musumeci and PL MEP Daniel Attard are among some of the people who have publicly spoken in favour of Micallef’s bid for Deputy Leader.

Musumeci said that Micallef is “an honest man and a gentleman even with those who are politically different from him”. He added that Micallef is “not extreme” but acts with conviction when he believes in something.

Attard declared his support for Micallef as a candidate for the Deputy Leader post in a statement on Wednesday, before Micallef had announced his intent to contest. Attard spoke of Micallef as being consistent and having integrity, and remarked that he believed Micallef would be “the best for what the Labour Party needs in the role of Deputy Leader”.

Micallef said he understands that in the present situation, he would be able to help renew PL due to “the experience that I have gained over many years in the management of the Party structures” and the “management of projects on a national basis”.