Another co-option on the cards as Labour candidates sit out race for MP seat
Updated 3.25pm A parliamentary seat left vacant by the resignation of Labour MP Silvio Grixti will be filled by whoever the government wants, after no candidates submitted nominations for a casual election to replace him. In a brief statement on Friday, the electoral commission said no names to fill the third district seat were received by the end of the nomination period earlier on Friday. That stands in stark contrast to what happened when a seat became available in the district two years ago. Back in December 2019, four candidates vied to fill a third district seat left empty by Helena Dalli's nomination to the European Commission. Jean-Claude Micallef won that contest, beating Edric Micallef, Sebastian Muscat and Mario Calleja. Two years later, none of those unsuccessful candidates has chosen to try and make it into parliament. Marsascala mayor to focus on locality Calleja, who according to the 2017 voting trends would have won the casual election, said when contacted on Friday that after weighing his options and discussing them with his family, he preferred focusing on the remaining three years of his mayorship. “I explained to Prime Minister Robert Abela that I...