NEWS | Wednesday, 22 October 2008

PRINT THIS ARTICLE

Bedingfield files MEP nomination for Muscat’s seat

Julia Farrugia
Labour candidate Glenn Bedingfield yesterday filed his nomination for the casual election to fill in the seat in the European Parliament vacated by Joseph Muscat, who is now leader of the Opposition.
Labour candidate Robert Micallef is also expected to file his nomination today.
The bye-election will elect the successor of Joseph Muscat, who gave up his seat earlier this month after four years in the European Parliament. The person elected will serve as a Member of the European Parliament for the next eight months.
There is still the possibility of a third candidate in the casual election. Contacted by MaltaToday yesterday, former MLP president Wenzu Mintoff stated that he was “still undecided whether to submit my nomination or not. I will take my decision on Wednesday.”
Potential candidates in this race included Labour MPs Joe Debono Grech and Owen Bonnici.
Owen Bonnici had already stated in public that he was not interested in contesting the election. Veteran MP Joe Debono Grech had also told inner circles that he would continue to serve the electorate in the Maltese parliament.
However, economist Robert Micallef confirmed that he would submit his nomination. “Yes, I’m going to put my name forward and I will let the democratic process take its course,” Micallef, an editor for the Eurobarometer surveys and lecturer at the University of Malta, said.
Nationalist candidate Roberta Tedesco Triccas completely ruled out any interest in the casual election, stating that her primary focus is on her personal campaign for the June elections. “This is my target and I will be working solely to reach my goal.”
Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Arnold Cassola also excluded contesting the casual election. “No, I won’t contest this casual election. I believe that if people elected someone from the MLP then, they have the right to have a candidate from the same party replacing him. My decision reflects AD’s national policy. In our electoral reform policy we proposed three things, amongst this was the casual election scenario.
“We always insisted that the people’s will should be respected and this is what democracy is about. The seat should be filled by a candidate from the same party.”
The favourite to fill the vacant MEP seat is Glenn Bedingfield, a former Labour journalist turned restaurateur.
Bedingfield enjoys strong ties with Joseph Muscat, having worked by his side in the Super One newsroom, and also serving on the Forum Zghazagh Laburisti’s council, while both were each other’s best man at their respective weddings.
Nominations for the casual election are set to close today at noon.

PRINT THIS ARTICLE

Any comments?
If you wish your comments to be published in our Letters pages please click button below.
Please write a contact number and a postal address where you may be contacted.