The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Anton Tabone, and the President's son, Mario de Marco, have decided to contest the April 12 general election.
Mr Tabone is the longest serving member of parliament. He was elected for the first time from Gozo in 1966 and was returned at every election since except the last one, whereupon he was nominated Speaker.
Mr Tabone, 65, is best known for having become the first minister for Gozo in 1987. He was confirmed in the post after the 1992 election.
He comes from a family steeped in politics. His father, Anton Tabone, was president of the Gozo Civil Council and successfully contested the 1962 election with the Nationalist Party. He was also about to contest the 1966 election but was suddenly taken seriously ill. As the closing date for nominations loomed, it was quickly decided that his son would stand instead, and he was promptly elected.
"I had not intended entering the political fray at the time" Mr Tabone admitted when questioned yesterday.
Asked why he had decided to stand for the general election again, Mr Tabone said he had made it clear after the last election that for as long as he remained in good health and the people wished him to stand, he would consider doing so.
"I do not know anything but to serve the people and the country. That is what I have done for a long time, and what I intend to do for as long as I am healthy."
Not that the story will end there. His son, the third Anton Tabone in Gozo politics, made a very good showing at the Victoria local election on Saturday, getting elected with 947 votes, easily the best showing of candidates from either party on that locality. He got 568 votes at the local election of three years ago.
The coming election will, obviously, see President Guido de Marco missing from the list of candidates after having been elected uninterruptedly since 1966 and been successful from two districts for four times.
His son, Mario, a lawyer, will take over the mantle, contesting the election for the first time, on the first district.
He will be the third president's son to stand for elections, after John Buttigieg, son of the later President Anton Buttigieg, and Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, President Ugo Mifsud Bonnici's son.
Parliamentary Secretary Antoine Mifsud Bonnici will also have his daughter, Paula, accompany him on the hustings. Indeed, having sons or daughter follow their father into parliament is far from rare. Current examples, apart from Mr Tabone and Dr Mifsud Bonnici (whose grandfather Carmelo also served in the House), are Nationalist MPs Giovanna Debono, George Hyzler, Tony Abela, Jean Pierre Farrugia and Claude Muscat. Mr Muscat's father and brother both served in the House.
But Mr Muscat will not contest the coming election, the only member of the PN parliamentary group not to do so. He was first elected in 1992.
The Labour parliamentary group will also have one absentee, Joe Cilia. He was first elected in 1992 and served as parliamentary secretary in the Labour government of 1996-98.
Both Mr Muscat and Notary Cilia said they had decided not to stand so as to dedicate more time to their families and professions.
Among the new faces contesting the election this time will be Victor Scerri, president of the national council of the Nationalist Party, and Alfred Mifsud, former chairman of the Labour Party's broadcasting media.
Mr Tabone's predecessor as Speaker, Notary Myriam Spiteri Debono, is expected to contest the election as a Labour candidate.