Updated 8pm
Alex Agius Saliba has teased an intention to run for the position of Labour's deputy leader for party affairs, with Jason Micallef dropping out of the race.
While not outright stating an intention to contest for the position, Agius Saliba said in a Facebook post on Tuesday he would be supporting efforts to have the party's statute amended to allow MPs or MEPs to hold the post.
Presently, the PL's statute says that a person who forms part of the party's parliamentary group, which includes MEPs, is not allowed to submit their nomination for the post.
Agius Saliba said he met Prime Minister Robert Abela to discuss the matter and said he supports his vision for the future as well as for the party.
He added that he was informed that former general secretary Jason Micallef was invited to a similar meeting with the prime minister.
Micallef later confirmed he would no longer be contesting.
In a Facebook post, Micallef said he had a lengthy meeting with Abela about the process of renewal needed in the party before the next general election. He also said that he had met with Agius Saliba.
“After the conclusion of these meetings, I no longer feel that I should continue contesting for deputy leader for party affairs,” Micallef said.
“I am doing this because I continue to insist on what I believe in. The best interests of the Labour Party and its people, to me, remain always and everywhere first and foremost.”
With Labour delegates set to vote on a new executive at the upcoming general conference, the race to fill former deputy leader Daniel Micallef's post has heated up in recent days, with Jason Micallef announcing his intention to contest the position.
However, Micallef's bid ruffled feathers within the party, with both enthusiasm and scepticism expressed by Labour officials, exposing a fissure within the party.
Robert Abela had a less than enthusiastic response to Micallef’s candidacy, saying in an interview that party delegates “should not turn back the clock” when voting on a new deputy leader and instead focus on making the party more appealing to moderates.
Former MEP Claudette Abela Baldacchino, who has expressed interest in the role but never confirmed she intended to run, also appeared to back the idea of Agius Saliba helming the post.
"How the news is evolving is a show of faith that the Labour Party is united behind Prime Minister Robert Abela, who only wants the best for our country," she said.