Alex Sciberras will serve as Labour Party president after beating Norma Saliba in tight race for the post on Saturday.

Sciberras, a lawyer and son of late judge Philip Sciberras, obtained 364 votes or 51% of the votes cast.

Saliba, who leads a state-run Maltese language centre and previously served as head of news at the national broadcaster, TVM, obtained 350 votes or 49% of the vote.

A total of 721 votes were cast in the election for a turnout percentage of 95.24%, the Labour Party said in an official statement.

Alex Sciberras with outgoing PL president Ramona Attard and Norma Saliba.

Both Saliba and Sciberras campaigned on similar platforms, vowing to incorporate party delegates’ feedback into decision-making and advocating for the party’s grassroots to play a bigger part in policymaking.

The two described each other as friends and played down talk of them serving as proxies for Robert Abela and his predecessor Joseph Muscat.

When Saliba announced her candidacy last month, she said she did so at the encouragement of Abela and that Ian Borg and Alex Agius Saliba both backed her.

Borg and Agius Saliba were elected as Labour’s two deputy leaders on Saturday, having run for those posts uncontested.

John Grech was elected international secretary, beating Georvin Bugeja to that post. 

Louis Gatt was confirmed as party vice-president and William Lewis will remain as party secretary, with both men having been uncontested for those posts. 

Labour delegates also voted for the party's new executive. A total of 37 candidates were competing for the 12 executive seats.

The executive will be composed of: 

• Mariella Abela 
• Ray Azzopardi 
• George Azzopardi
• Guza Cassar
• Rosette Cassar
• Matthew Chetcuti 
• Yana Debono Grech 
• Ray Falzon
• Jason Farrugia 
• Eman Felice 
• Owen Grech 
• Jason Micallef