Eight new faces in parliament so far
Seven of them were contesting a general election for the first time. One was elected from two districts
Updated at 8.30 with the addition of Frank Anthony Tabone, who was declared elected through the adjustment to cater for proportionality.
Eight candidates were declared elected to parliament for the first time on Sunday, and all but one were contesting a general election for the first time.
Six of the newcomers were on the Nationalist ticket, the other two on Labour’s.
Elected on behalf of the PN:
- Michael Piccinino, a former PN general secretary, who was elected from the 4th district, having contested for the first time.
- Conrad Borg Manche’, a lawyer and former Labour mayor of Gżira, he made a late switch to the PN and was elected from the 5th and 10th districts.
- Julian Borg, an architect elected from the 6th district, also a first-time candidate.
- Alex Perici Calascione, the PN’s deputy leader, was elected from the 9th district. This was his second attempt as a candidate, but his first on this district.
- Beppe Galea, now the youngest MP, was elected from the 13th district.
- Frank Anthony Tabone, a lawyer contesting for the first time, who was elected through the adjustment made to cater for proportionality.
The new faces on the Labour benches are:
- John Grech, elected from the eighth district. He is the international secretary of the Labour Party, chairperson of Socialist International's Mediterranean Committee and head of secretariat at the Ministry of Transport. This was his first time on the ticket.
- Nigel Vella, a former head of the Labour Party’s communications and a consultant in the Ministry for Home Affairs, he was more recently appointed CEO of the Mediterranean Conference Centre. This was also his first time as a candidate.
More new faces may still make it to parliament once seats are added to cater for gender representation, and casual elections are held to fill seats vacated by candidates elected from two districts.