The Labour Party has approved its first group of candidates to contest the next general election, with 17 names confirmed following a selection process carried out by the party's Candidate Commission, a statement said.

The approval was granted by the party's national executive after the Commission, led by notary Charles Mangion, reviewed applications submitted by prospective candidates over recent weeks.

The first group includes five new candidates: Vania Agius Tabone, Martina Buhagiar, David Caruana, Lisa Cassar Shaw and Mariah Meli.

Agius Tabone is set to contest the eighth and ninth districts, while Buhagiar will run on the second and third districts.

Caruana, Cassar Shaw and Meli will all contest the ninth and tenth districts.

The remaining candidates approved in this first batch are Carmelo Abela (second and third districts), Anthony Agius Decelis (seventh and eleventh districts), Jonathan Attard (fourth and twelfth districts), Keith Azzopardi Tanti (first and eighth districts), Glenn Bedingfield (first and second districts), Chris Bonett (third and fourth districts), Owen Bonnici (third and fifth districts), Lorna Borg Vassallo (ninth and tenth districts), Andy Ellul (third and fourth districts), Michael Falzon (ninth and tenth districts), James Grech (second and third districts) and Damian Spiteri (tenth and twelfth districts).

The Labour Party said that the selection process will continue in the coming weeks, with further candidates expected to be approved as part of the run-up to the next general election.