Next Labour Deputy Leader Shouldn’t Be A Sitting MP, Justice Minister Urges, As Chris Cardona Steps Down
The next deputy leader for party affairs of the Labour Party should not be a sitting MP and should be focused entirely on the party, Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis has said.
“I am in favour of having deputy leaders for party affairs that will serve the party and its members. That is their role. A minister is to serve the country,” Zammit Lewis told Lovin Malta.
His comments come as the Labour Party kicks off a process to elect its next deputy leader after the embattled former Economy Minister Chris Cardona resigned from his role today. Some of the potential candidates already being mentioned by PL insiders are Labour Party president Daniel Micallef and recently-elected MP Ian Castaldi Paris.
Zammit Lewis said this was the “opportune time” to really think about the role of deputy leader of the party.
The Labour Party statute had previously only allowed non-sitting MPs to contest the role of deputy leader for party affairs; however this clause was changed in 2016 in the wake of Toni Abela’s resignation. This party rule change allowed former minister Konrad Mizzi to successfully contest the role, but he only lasted a few weeks, having to resign following massive blowback over the Panama Papers scandal.
He was succeeded by Cardona, who was also a sitting MP.
Zammit Lewis said it was important that whoever occupied the role next was not an MP and did not have to any commitments to a district that may get in the way of his or her role.
What do you think of Zammit Lewis’ point of view?
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