Labour leader Joseph Muscat this evening called on everybody to roll up their sleeves and get ready to work hard - there would be no place for "prima donnas" in the party.

"Whoever thinks that the 'earthquake' within the party will not happen is mistaken. Where we failed in the past we will renew, and where we succeeded we'll build on," he said.

Addressing this evening's extraordinary general conference at the party's headquarters, Dr Muscat started his speech by hailing Dom Mintoff who turns 92 tomorrow.

He then prayed for a miracle for Karl Chircop, Labour spokesman for health affairs, who is battling for his life in hospital. The party's thoughts were with him and his family, he said.

Dr Chircop's condition overshadowed the conference and all speakers started their speech by mentioning their colleague.

In his speech, Dr Muscat also welcomed the constructive debate that went on in the media in the past days, referring to former finance minister Leo Brincat's remarks to oust Jason Micallef, who has just been re-elected to his post of general secretary.

"I'm glad to see this spirit of confrontation and ideas within our party. I'm confident together we'll achieve what we didn't in the past. Let's move ahead in the spirit of unity," he said.