Abela in search for right candidate to beat Jason Micallef’s challenge

Party veteran Jason Micallef’s announcement that he will contest Labour’s deputy leadership post did not go down well with Prime Minister Robert Abela, who told his aides, in no uncertain terms, that Micallef was the last person he wanted as his deputy.

Labour Party sources said that Abela is already approaching several individuals interested in challenging Micallef, offering his full backing.

So far, four possible candidates have come forward and are expected to make a final decision shortly.

The Shift is informed that two former party CEOs, Gino Cauchi and George Azzopardi, are showing active interest in contesting the post.

Additionally, former failed MEP candidates Claudette Abela Baldacchino and Gozitan Josianne Cutajar are also testing the waters among PL delegates, offering a range of perspectives and experiences.

Cauchi, a former MP and TV personality, is considered a front-runner among Abela’s clique.

On the other hand, George Azzopardi, also a former CEO, is not on good terms with Abela after he was sacked from his position after the last general elections.

“What is sure is that Jason (Micallef) is going to have a good challenge. He is seen as a divisive person and a front for Joseph Muscat. This is not in the interest of the party and of Robert Abela,” a senior party aide close to the PM said.

Together with Manuel Cuschieri, Micallef was the brains behind the ‘spontaneous’ shenanigans in front of the law courts last May when disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat and his aides were arraigned on the fraudulent hospitals deal.

Many party officials have publicly admitted that the protest significantly harmed Labour at the polls and further undermined the prime minister’s authority over his party.

The Shift is also informed that the Party leadership is considering a change in the statute to widen the number of valid candidates who can take up the deputy leadership position.

An amendment to the party’s statute is being considered, which would allow MPs close to Abela to contest the position. The amendment can be made through an ad hoc general conference.

So far, there has been far less controversy over the other major vacancy, that of Deputy Leader for Parliamentary Affairs, which is up for grabs in September.

PL sources said that there seems to be a consensus that Minister Ian Borg could be the ideal candidate for the post.

Although the position never carried too much weight traditionally, many of Borg’s colleagues in cabinet don’t want to be too associated with the Abela administration now that it is clearly in a popularity decline. This decline could be attributed to various factors, including recent policy decisions and public perception of the administration’s performance.

Although Borg is not considered part of Abela’s coterie, he may be a counterbalance to the prime minister. It is widely reported that Borg harbours ambitions to take over the PL leadership.