Alfred Grixti, who has announced he will contest the election for general secretary of the Labour Party, has admitted that it was his participation in a Net TV programme after the general election which persuaded him to do so.

Mr Grixti has been active within the MLP ever since he was a teenager and first contested the general election in 1992.

In 2003 he was runner up to Jason Micallef in the election to the post of general secretary, a contest which had seven candidates.

“The truth of the matter is that after the general election, many people from different levels of the party, including activists and those in the centre of the party asked me to consider standing for the election of general secretary once more. Then on March 18 Pierre Portelli invited me for his Net TV programme for a post-election discussion for which Peppi Azzopardi was also invited.

Following the programme many people contacted me, welcoming the way I had expressed my views and making comparisons with Jason Micallef’s participation on Xarabank a few days before,” Mr Girxi said.

Before that, Mr Grixti added, it had been more difficult for him to make up his mind, not least because he enjoys his current job at the helm of a school.

He praised the three candidates who have so far officially declared their intention to seek the leadership of the party, saying the MLP was fortunate to be able to choose from among such people. He said he would be prepared to serve under any of them and would not discuss individuals in the leadership debate. As general secretary, he said, his role would be to provide the backing which the party leader needed. Dr Gonzi had been able to find that backing at the last election, but it was lacking for Dr Sant, he said.

Mr Girxi is a former MLP education secretary and is currently deputy mayor of Zebbug. He has a blog on timesofmalta.com