Veteran journalist and politician Paul Carachi (picture) died at St Luke's Hospital yesterday, aged 80.

Mr Carachi, who last March resigned as a Balzan local councilor due to health reasons, was last year awarded the prestigious Gold Award by the Institute of Maltese Journalists for life achievements.

"I owe a lot to The Times. They gave me the chance and I took it," Mr Carachi had said in an interview with a local newspaper some years back.

Born in Vittoriosa in 1926, Mr Carachi had joined Allied Malta Newspapers Ltd in 1941 as a salesboy and was promoted to reporter, assistant foreign news editor and later assistant night editor.

Mr Carachi joined the Malta Labour Party in 1960 and was appointed assistant editor of the party's weekly The Voice of Malta. He then joined the General Workers' Union and was appointed first deputy editor of the union's daily which he had called l-orizzont. He was also the first editor of the union's English newspaper Malta News.

At the same time, Mr Carachi was active on the MLP's national executive in the role of assistant international secretary.

He unsuccessfully contested the general election in 1962 but was then elected to the House of Representatives in 1966 and 1971. He withdrew from the political scene in 1976 when he failed to be re-elected to Parliament.

In 1984 he was employed as producer and broadcaster in the newsroom of Xandir Malta serving there until his retirement in 1987.

In 1995, Mr Carachi founded and led the Moviment Balzani ghall-Kunsill Lokali and successfully contested the local council elections of 1996, 1999, 2002 and 2005.

He wrote his autobiography in 2002 entitled Paul Carachi - Il-Gurnalista u l-Politiku.

The Institute of Maltese Journalists expressed sympathy at Mr Carachi's demise and sent its condolences to his family.

He is survived by his wife Evelyn and his two children Mary Rose and Alex.

His funeral will be held at Balzan parish church tomorrow at 8.30 a.m.