Chris Fearne has announced he is contesting the Labour leadership race, with the momentum behind him to succeed Joseph Muscat as Prime Minister in January.

Mr Fearne, the health minister and deputy prime minister, has emerged as the clear favourite after the scandal which hit the Office of the Prime Minister amid the fallout of the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder inquiry. 

Times of Malta first reported that he was expected to announce his intention to run on Friday morning. 

Writing on Facebook at around 2pm, Mr Fearne formally announced his decision, saying the country stood at a crossroads.  

“The country and party are eagerly calling upon us, a cry that echoes across the four corners of this sweet land [l-Art Ħelwa],” he wrote on Facebook.  

Mr Fearne said he had heard this call and was responding to it.  

He pledged to deliver full justice, to bring integrity to the country’s institutions, to carry the weight that the country would put on his shoulders, and that the same responsibility is also lifted by others.  

He said he would clear away any blemishes from the country’s reputation, and, quoting Labour talisman Dom Mintoff, he pledged to ensure Malta came first and foremost.  

Within hours government ministers Owen Bonnici, Ian Borg and Edward Zammit Lewis had all announced their support for Mr Fearne.

He also received the backing of parliamentary secretary Aaron Farrugia and Labour MPs Etienne Grech and Glenn Bedingfield.

Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg and MP Robert Abela were expected to throw their hat into the ring, according to multiple party sources. 

Howerver, Dr Borg's support of Mr Fearne has thrown that into doubt. 

The surgeon is believed to be way ahead in an internal poll carried out over the past days. 

Sources said Mr Fearne, 56, has emerged as the favourite, capitalising from the fact he is perceived as "clean", as he steered a ministry free from any major scandals while he has kept a "safe distance" from "Joseph Muscat's crowd". 

The sources said an initial attempt to reach a deal to avoid a leadership contest in a party at a delicate juncture is now off the table. 

"Some potential candidates were jockeying themselves to withdraw from the race and in return be given a particular post if Fearne wins. That doesn't seem to be happening now."

Ian Borg hints at bid 

Minister Ian Borg was among the first ministers to announce that he was backing Mr Fearne's leadership bid, pouring cold water on speculation that he was preparing a bid of his own.   

In a Facebook post earlier in the day, Dr Borg had said that he would be meeting with families and supporters on Friday evening.  

In his post, Dr Borg said he would continue working to ensure no “negative interests” would get in the way of “our unity and our success”.

"In the days and weeks to come, the Labour Party will be taking important decisions. The great support you have shown, gives me strength. Nothing will stop me from doing whatever it takes for us to continue succeeding,” he wrote along with the hashtags #immexxu and #appoġġ.  

Sources close to Dr Borg said he was “seriously considering” running in the leadership race.

Robert Abela makes his pitch

Labour MP Robert Abela also appeared to take a step away from a potential leadership bid, writing that he was not interested in sealing "diabolical pacts" in a quest for power. 

He published that post a few hours after he had written that “with humility”, he was ready “to offer what little I know” to be part of the change and to “return the country to jewel that it once was in the shortest time possible”.  

Dr Abela is the son of President Emeritus George Abela, himself a former Labour deputy leader during the Alfred Sant years.  

“I am confident that after this storm, will come the calm if we work carefully,” he wrote. "I am ready to offer the little I know to be a part of this change". 

Dalli says no

Labour MEP Miriam Dalli announced on Thursday she had no intention of running for the post. 

Labour delegates are expected to vote for the top two candidates on January 8 with party members finally selecting the leader days later and hence the new prime minister. 

Dr Muscat announced he is stepping down amid major pressure over the connections between his office and the murder of Ms Caruana Galizia.

The PL's former secretary general Jason Micallef said in a post on Facebook that for the party to be strengthened, it had to reintroduce the post of secretary-general.