President Emeritus Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca has endorsed deputy prime minister Chris Fearne in his bid to become the next leader of the Labour Party. 

"I know [Mr Fearne] as a person who considers his loyalty to this country and the true values of the Labour Party as a fundamental principle," Ms Coleiro Preca said in a video uploaded to the candidate's campaign page on Saturday.

"Without excessive pomp, he works to change people's lives, as he did as a minister and deputy prime minister.

"As a doctor, he learned how to take urgent decisions for his patient's benefit. This country - and this party - needs immediate healing." 

Ms Coleiro Preca said that having known Mr Fearne since he was a youth activist within the Labour Party, she believed he understood the "pain" currently being experienced by who had devoted their lives to the party and to the country, and that he would, as Prime Minister, take his advice "from the people". 

"Chris Fearne is the Prime Minister our country needs right now, for us to emerge from this difficult moment renewed, strengthened and united as a democratic nation built on values and fundamental rights," she said.

Mr Fearne, who currently serves as health minister, is running against Robert Abela, a back-bench MP and government legal consultant, to succeed the outgoing Joseph Muscat as Prime Minister and leader of the party. Labour members will choose between the two at a party congress on January 12.

The deputy prime minister is considered the front-runner and already enjoys the public support of a number of his current cabinet colleagues and a large portion of the Labour Party parliamentary group.

On Sunday, he unveiled his priorities for the country if elected, which include an immediate focus on the rule-of-law situation, an ambitious plan for urban green spaces, equal pay for equal work, immigration and infrastructure, among other areas.