Updated 11am
Ian Borg and Alex Agius Saliba confirmed on Wednesday they will be contesting the posts of Labour deputy leader for parliamentary and party affairs in the upcoming PL elections.
In July Times of Malta reported that the foreign affairs minister appears likely to succeed Chris Fearne, who stepped down in the wake of the Vitals court case.
Sources close to Borg told Times of Malta on Wednesday that all MPs have privately pledged to back his candidacy.
The party will hold internal elections on September 13 and 14, during which several key roles, including the party’s two deputy leaders, will be up for grabs. Nominations for all positions will open on Friday, August 23 and remain open until August 25.
It looks like Borg will not face any competition for the post.
While MEP Agius Saliba confirmed in a Facebook post that he will throw his hat in the ring for the party affairs post, former MEP Josianne Cutajar also seems to be mulling the role.
Jason Micallef dropped out of the race only days after confirming his intention to contest. Claudette Abela Baldacchino also confirmed she was no longer interested in running for the post of deputy leader.
In a statement announcing his candidacy, Borg said he would contest the role after considering calls "from many quarters" and with the support of his family.
He said he also spoke to fellow Labour MPs and delegates, reflected on Robert Abela’s call for unity and consulted Fearne, who he said had committed himself to the role "with impressive courage and determination" for eight years.
"I am choosing to extend my contribution to the consolidation of PL and the Labour Government because I wholeheartedly believe that Labour and the values it enshrines are the best political choice for our country and that we must all work tirelessly, as one team, for the common good of the people of Malta, as this Party has been doing since its inception, for more than a century," he said.
Borg said since he ventured into politics at the age of 16 he has always believed in the "great strength of our communities".
"It reaffirms the need to make sure that as politicians, we must continue inspiring and empowering our families and businesses to achieve their potential, as we support our children to become stronger, principled and more sustainable Maltese generations."
In recent months, Borg presided over the United Nations Security Council on behalf of Malta, leading talks on decisions on the Middle East and Ukraine.
He is also currently chairing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
"When I meet with leaders of other countries, they wonder how a small island state like ours can punch above its weight with such significant results on an international level.
"This unparalleled potential of our people has convinced me to step forward and offer to dedicate more of my time and energy to our country and to Labour, by nominating myself to serve as deputy leader."
Meanwhile, Agius Saliba also confirmed he will be contesting the elections on Wednesday.
He said he has been involved in the party politics since the age of 15: "I loved the activists, delegates and party members with whom I've always worked - without any personal interests or pretensions - to ensure the PL remains the largest political force in the country".
The MEP said he was going to invest even more effort in the party so that in three years, the PL will once again be an "organised party full of eagerness and volunteers so that together we continue working for the good of the country".
It would have been easier to ignore the call (for him to contest the role) by Abela and the hundreds of delegates and activists, however, he had always been there when the party needed him, Agius Saliba added.