Ministers and parliamentary secretaries on Monday refused to say whether they support Jason Micallef's bid for Labour deputy leader, sticking to the prime minister's statements on the matter and insisting it was now up to the party delegates to decide.

Speaking to Times of Malta as they walked into a cabinet meeting in Castille, none of the MPs would say whether Micallef's bid was a good idea. They would neither say whether they would support him if he were to be elected deputy leader in the September elections.

But they said delegates have historically always made the right choice and any wish they express democratically must be respected.

Micallef - a Labour stalwart and former party general secretary - announced he was running for the post of Labour Party deputy leader for party affairs on Friday.

The announcement was met with mixed reactions from Labourites and party delegates. Hundreds supported him while others - although less manifestly - expressed concern that he is "highly opinionated" and "tribal", made several enemies in his political life and could cause friction in the party.

Robert Abela himself was not too enthusiastic about the possibility before Micallef even announced he was running.

Asked about Micallef’s possible return during a Lovin Malta interview last week, Abela said Micallef still has a lot to offer to the party but also said delegates should not “turn back the clock”.

"You asked me about a specific person, but I think my reply counts in general - when your time is up and you've given your contribution, don't come back," he told the interviewer.

'Delegates know best'

On Monday, a few ministers insisted Abela was not referring to Micallef.

"He did not make a statement on Jason Micallef. What he meant was that for any party to renew itself and remain a winning party, we must always have new people who bring new ideas," Transport Minister Chris Bonett said.

Asked whether he supports Micallef for deputy leader, Bonett said that was up to the delegates.

Gozo and Planning Minister Clint Camilleri had a very similar reply, insisting Abela's was just a general statement.

He also would not say whether Micallef would make a good deputy leader, saying he has to see the final list of candidates before making up his mind and that he had no doubt delegates would make the right choice.

"We now wait for a democratic process and leave it up to the delegates. I will support any candidate they choose. I believe they will be making the best choice," Social Dialogue Junior Minister Andy Ellul said.

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said the delegates are mature enough to make the best decisions, and if they choose Micallef, then the party must work with him as it always has with other people.

"Every party member is eligible to contest - whether or not they're fit for the role is up to the delegates," he said.

Education Minister Clifton Grima, Housing Minister Roderick Galdes, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri and Reforms Junior Minister Rebecca Buttigieg echoed very similar sentiments.

'There will come a time when I should stop'

Health Minister JoEtienne Abela and Fisheries Junior Minister Alicia Bugeja Said simply said they support what the prime minister said, but colleague Keith Azzopardi Tanti perhaps came the closest to a clearer answer.

"I've been involved in the party since I was 16. Today I have this role but I already know, even though I'm 40, that there will come a time when I should stop," he said.

"Maybe not stop completely from the party but remain active in different roles. I'm speaking for myself here, and I think that is clear enough."

Micallef, who currently sits as the chair of the Valletta Cultural Agency, and who served as Labour general secretary under Alfred Sant, had said the party needed to work on its “coherence and energy” following the result of June’s European parliament elections.

This followed an uptick in him being publicly critical of the way the party has handled certain matters.

The Labour Party will be holding its general conference between September 13 and 15, during which it will elect a new administration, including replacements for Chris Fearne and Daniel Micallef, the latter of which Jason Micallef hopes to succeed.