From MaltaMedia.com
Dr Joseph Muscat elected new MLP leader
By MaltaMedia News
Jun 6, 2008 - 9:41:39 PM
Dr Joseph Muscat will be heading the Malta Labour Party for the years to come as he has managed to obtain 574 of the delegates’ votes in the second round of the election for the new leader of the Malta Labour Party.
In the first round of the election, Joseph Muscat immediately emerged as the absolute favourite with 435 votes out of 875 valid votes, just three votes short of an absolute majority.
Dr George Abela, who contested alongside Muscat managed to obtain 291.votes in the second round and 200 votes in the first round, claiming 22.86% of the delegates’ votes.
In statements to the press on Friday morning, Dr Abela stated that given Thursday’s results he was positive but realistic about his chances of winning the leadership bid.
The other contenders obtained the following results on Thursday, Evarist Bartolo 32 votes, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca 26 and Michael Falzon 181 and were consequently eliminated.
Dr Joseph Muscat was born in 1974 in Pieta’ and now lives in Burmarrad.
His education includes a baccalaureate (Hons) in Public Policy, a Masters degree in European Studies and a doctorate in Economics, all from the University of Malta.
Following Alfred Sant’s appointment as leader of the labour party, Muscat became involved in the party’s media and has been active in the party ever since. In 1995 he was elected to the Labour Party’ National Executive. He was also education secretary before the 2003 general election.
In 2004, he successfully contested the elections for European Parliament. Among his most important roles as an MEP he is Vice-chairman for the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. Muscat is also a substitute for the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, vice-chair of the delegation for relations with Belarus, and a substitute for the delegation for relations with the countries of south-east Europe.
For more details about the MLP leadership election see New MLP Leadership 2008.
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