Lawyer Kevin Cutajar has formally announced his bid to occupy the Nationalist Party seat vacated by David Stellini, potentially setting the stage for a further rift within the party. 

In a Facebook post, Dr Cutajar, a Xagħra councillor, said he will be attending the Nationalist executive committee meeting on Saturday to formally request his co-option to parliament. 

"Now that the election is over... I will be seeking to take David Stellini's seat, which was earlier occupied by Marthese Portelli, so as to respect the Gozitan voters' wish," he wrote. 

He said he had informed PN leader Adrian Delia as well as PN officials about his wish.

"I'm sure the PN executive will respect Gozitan voters because the PN is Gozo's party."

Dr Cutajar was a PN candidate for the 2017 and 2013 general elections, as well as local councillor in Xagħra since 2007.

Various PN MPs have expressed their support for his bid, potentially exposing another rift between certain MPs and the party administration, which appears to be supporting Jean Pierre Debono. 

Mr Debono had stepped down from parliament to pave the way for Adrian Delia. 

David Stellini officially resigned his seat in the House of Representatives, to return to his posting with the European People’s Party in Brussels.

The Labour Party won the European elections with a 42,000 majority over the PN last weekend.