Controversial former minister Konrad Mizzi had floated the idea of throwing his hat in the ring for the ongoing Labour leadership race in recent weeks, despite having just resigned from the Cabinet.

Labour Party sources confirmed that Dr Mizzi had met them in the build-up to the opening of nominations for the leadership race this month and discussed his possible bid. 

“I was surprised to say the least. He told me that now that he was no longer a minister, he had more time on his hands to focus on how to get the party more electoral victories. It was surreal,” one PL source said. 

The highly controversial politician had once been a star member of the 2013 Cabinet but his name soon became synonymous with alleged corruption following the 2016 Panama Papers scandal, which exposed how he had set up secret offshore financial structures while he was tasked with negotiating major government contracts. 

Although he has repeatedly protested his innocence, Dr Mizzi had faced relentless pressure to resign, even after being re-elected to Parliament in the 2017 general election.

Dr Mizzi finally announced that he had stepped down from Cabinet last month after a Castille meeting of ministers that was described as tense by sources in the room. 

His resignation had come just a few hours after Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had announced the resignation of his former chief of staff Keith Schembri who was at the time being questioned in relation to the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. He has since been released from police custody. 

Economy Minister Chris Cardona had also suspended himself at the time, only to be reinstated just a few days later. 

All the announcements had come as Yorgen Fenech, who stands accused of the murder of Ms Caruana Galizia, had started speaking out on the alleged links between the assassination plot and people linked to the government. Mr Fenech has also claimed to have damning information about high-level government corruption. 

Both Dr Mizzi and Mr Schembri had been outed as having opened secret offshore companies that were set to receive hefty payments from another offshore company, 17 Black, owned by Mr Fenech. 

PL sources said Dr Mizzi had decided against running when he was told about a movement within the party who wanted to expel him from Labour altogether. 

“There are some in the party who want to see Konrad [Mizzi] kicked out completely – that would mean he would not be a member, not be part of the parliamentary group, and not allowed to contest an election as a Labour candidate,” a party source said. 

The sources said Dr Mizzi had been warned that were he to enter the leadership race, “those within the PL who are baying for his blood, just might get it.”

This is not the first time that Dr Mizzi’s leadership aspirations have bubbled to the surface. 

Back in March – before the current political crisis – The Sunday Times of Malta reported how Cabinet ministers and Labour Party delegates confirmed that Dr Mizzi, a former deputy leader, had made contact with them to ask for their support as he started to campaign for the leadership of the Labour Party. 

For months after that, and up until his resignation, those supporting Dr Mizzi’s possible candidature had used the catchphrase ‘The Konrad Effect’ to promote him as a future leader. 

Attempts to reach Dr Mizzi for comment proved unsuccessful by the time of writing.

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