His resignation will spark a casual election on the Third District
Carmelo Abela has served in parliament since 1996. (File photo: Times of Malta)
Carmelo Abela to Resign Parliamentary Seat Upon Appointment as Speaker
Carmelo Abela will resign as a Labour MP following his appointment as Speaker of the House of Representatives, the government announced on Tuesday. He is set to be sworn in during the State Opening of Parliament on Saturday.
Although Abela could have retained his parliamentary seat while serving as Speaker, as has been done in previous legislatures, such an arrangement would have reduced Labour's effective parliamentary majority. A Speaker forfeits their original vote and only exercises a casting vote in the event of a tie. By resigning his seat, Abela will allow Labour to maintain its five-seat majority in Parliament.
His resignation will trigger a casual election in the Third Electoral District, from which he was elected. Eligible Labour candidates who were not elected from the district and may contest the casual election include former MP Ray Abela, Martina Buhagiar, James Grech and Eric Plumpton. Should no candidate come forward, the Prime Minister may fill the vacancy through co-option.
Abela has served in several ministerial roles throughout his political career, including as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Home Affairs. He also served as Deputy Speaker and Labour Party whip. First elected to Parliament in 1996, he has been a longstanding figure within Maltese politics.
In a Facebook post, Abela said he was honoured to have been asked to serve as Speaker and pledged to carry out his duties with commitment and dedication to the country and its democratic institutions. He explained that he was relinquishing his parliamentary seat to ensure that the electoral mandate and parliamentary majority determined by voters would be respected.
Prime Minister Robert Abela, on behalf of the government, thanked outgoing Speaker Anġlu Farrugia for his service over a record three consecutive legislatures. He also expressed gratitude to Carmelo Abela and wished him success in his new role as Speaker.
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