Jason Micallef to seek electoral legitimacy with Labour executive post

After being appointed special delegate overseeing the implementation of the Labour electoral manifesto, Jason Micallef is now running for one of 10 posts to be elected to the Labour national executive

By: maltatoday.com

Aug 17 2024
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Jason Micallef to seek electo

Jason Micallef will seek electoral legitimacy inside Labour by running for one of the posts to the party’s national executive.

Labour delegates next month will elect a new deputy leader for parliamentary affairs, and for party affairs, as well as members of the PL’s administrative committee, and 10 members for its national executive.

“The next step for me naturally is to put forward my name to contest a position as a member of the PL national executive, a necessary step aligning with my new role as special delegate,” Micallef said.

Micallef said he had support from many delegates, whom he said had shown “renewed enthusiasm and energy” for Labour’s renewal. “Labour delegates want us to win together those same victories we achieved since 2013.”

The former Labour secretary-general was seemingly rewarded with the post of ‘special delegate’ after first bidding to be elected deputy leader for party affairs.

The party’s administrative committee instead proceeded to appoint Micallef a special delegate to oversee the party’s electoral manifesto implementation, leading Micallef to withdraw his nomination.

While the post itself is unclear, many will regard the role as an assistant to the next deputy leader for party affairs, whose main contender so far will be Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba.

With Agius Saliba in Brussels, whose agenda entirely occupies his working week, Micallef might well be the party delegate who will mostly be conferring with Agius Saliba on his role.

The government already has a similar role within its Cabinet, with Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi tasked with the implementation of the electoral manifesto during last January’s reshuffle.

Nominations for all positions will open on Friday, 23 August and remain open until 25 August. The elections for deputy leaders and other appointments in the Labour administration will take place between 13th and 15th September.

Last month Jason Micallef had called for wider reform within the party, stating the CEO post should be replaced with Secretary General.

The Secretary General post had been removed from Labour in 2010 under former leader Joseph Muscat, and rplaced with a non-elected CEO role.