Gino Cauchi was elected member of Parliament yesterday in a casual election held to fill the seat vacated by the death of Labour MP Karl Chircop. Mr Cauchi inherited 54 per cent of Dr Chircop's votes.

A former head of news at One Productions, the Labour Party's media arm, Mr Cauchi said he was somewhat perplexed because, on the one hand he was happy at his election but, on the other, the memory of his good friend Dr Chircop was very fresh. Dr Chircop died aged 43 in a London hospital on October 12 after spending 10 weeks in a deep coma.

Mr Cauchi said he hoped he would match the standards of the man he is replacing both in Parliament and in the fourth district, which has many needs, especially social ones.

This was the first time Mr Cauchi contested a general election.

He is a former mayor of Pembroke.

The casual election was also contested by former MP Joe Brincat and Sebastian Muscat.

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