Labour approves 13 new candidates and the return of two former junior ministers
More candidates to be approved shortly
The Labour Party approved the candidature of 13 new election candidates on Tuesday along with the return of two former parliamentary secretaries.
The new candidates are Valletta mayor Olaf McKay, Fleur Abela, the animal welfare commissioner, who, like McKay will contest the first district, Ramona Attard who will be standing for the first time, on the sixth and eighth districts after having been co-opted to the House earlier in the last legislature, former Birkirkara mayor Yana Borg Debono Grech on the first and eighth districts and former UHM official Jesmond Bonello on the second and the eighth.
State entity CEO Rodrick Zerafa will run on the second and fifth district, domestic violence commissioner Samantha Pace Gasan will contest the seventh and Remenda Grech, director for alternative care at the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, will run on the fifth.
Labour Party international secretary John Grech will contest the first and eight districts, criminal defence lawyer Francesca Zarb will run on the first and eleventh, Georvin Bugeja will contest the second district, Joseph Bugeja will run on the first and eighth, and Carlos Zarb will contest the twelfth.
Former parliamentary secretary Deborah Schembri, a lawyer will return as a candidate on the 10th and 12th districts. while former parliamentary secretary Franco Mercieca, an eye surgeon, revealed at a PL activity that he would be running once again on the twelfth district.
The PL on Tuesday also approved the candidatures of current MPs Ray Abela (3 and 4) Malcolm Paul Agius Galea (6 and 7) Alicia Bugeja Said (3, 12) Rebecca Buttigieg (9, 10), Naomi Cachia (7, 12) Byron Camilleri (2, 4) Katya De Giovanni (4 10), Julia Farrugia (5, 7) Cressida Galea (1, 8) Alex Muscat (8, 11) Omar Farrugia (5, 6) and Davina Sammut Hili (first district).