Malta - Abela elected new Labor leader and Malta PM / Muscat leaves office after weeks of Malata pro

Описание: (13 Jan 2020) ***

Malta's Labour Party chose Robert Abela as its new leader on January 12th 2020.

Abela is to replace Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who announced his resignation amid increasing demands at home and abroad for accountability following the assassination of an anti-corruption journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Around 17,500 Labour Party members were eligible to choose between two contenders: Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne, 56, and 42-year old Abela.
The winner will automatically become Malta's Prime Minister.
The new leader is to address the nation Sunday afternoon.
Both candidates have acknowledged that recent weeks have been "difficult" for Malta, stopping short of criticizing Muscat but pledging to work to restore Malta's reputation abroad and citizens' confidence in the rule of law.
Muscat has said he will resign following the election of the new Labour leader.
Muscat leaves office after weeks of Malata protests
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Malta's former prime minister Joseph Muscat left office on January 13th after he was replaced by first-term lawmaker Robert Abela whose father was Malta's president.
Muscat's departure comes after weeks of protests demanding accountability in the investigation of the car bomb slaying of an anti-corruption journalist who targeted his government.
Although many Maltese had pushed for Muscat's resignation in frustration over the handling of the investigation, the change in leadership might not bring much policy change.
Abela, a 42-year-old specialist in labour and industrial law, did pledge before the party vote to help repair Malta’s reputation. But he is also widely considered a Muscat protege.
The Labour Party, which commands a comfortable parliamentary majority, appeared to choose a leader who would follow much in Muscat’s path.
Still, for opposition politicians, seeing Muscat resign because of public outrage gave some measure of satisfaction.

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Malta's new prime minister has been sworn into office, replacing the beleaguered premier who bowed to public protests for accountability in the probe of an anti-corruption journalist's murder.
Robert Abela took the oath of office in Valletta on Monday and kissed a crucifix in the traditionally Roman Catholic country.
Abela is a first-term lawmaker whose father George Abela was a past president of the European Union nation.
Among onlookers was Joseph Muscat, who resigned amid anger over links between his government and those under investigation in the 2017 car bomb assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
She had been investigating offshore companies linked to politicians close to Muscat. Her work targeted members of his government.
In the run-up to the Labour Party election on Saturday to determine Muscat's successor both as party leader and prime minister, Robert Abela pledged to repair Malta's reputation. European Union lawmakers had faulted Malta's adherence to rule of law and recommended reform of its judicial and police systems.
Among those under investigation for the murder, according to Maltese prosecutors, is Muscat's former chief of staff, who denies any involvement. A Maltese casino owner has been arraigned for alleged complicity in the murder, an accusation he denies. Three men were arrested in the weeks after the bombing as the suspects of the actual bombing.
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