Now that both political parties have decided which seats will be relinquished by candidates elected from two districts, the Electoral Commission is waiting for the President to issue the writ calling for casual elections to take place.
There will be 12 casual elections - six each for the Malta Labour Party and the Nationalist Party.
Casual elections for the MLP candidates will take place on the second, third, fifth, sixth, eighth and 10th districts while those for the PN candidates will take place on the second, seventh, ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th electoral districts.
The PN executive committee decided on Thursday that Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi will retain the seat won in the ninth district, Foreign Minister Tonio Borg the eighth, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech the eighth, Education Minister Dolores Cristina the ninth, former Sliema mayor Robert Arrigo the 10th and Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando the 11th.
Dr Gonzi will give up the seat he won on the second district, giving the possibility to family doctor Stephen Spiteri to make it to Parliament for the first time. Dr Spiteri is the only remaining PN candidate eligible to contest this casual election.
Dr Borg will vacate his seat on the 11th district where the contest is between former MP Michael Asciak, Shirley Farrugia, Ian Castaldi Paris, former Minister Ċensu Galea, PN president Victor Scerri, John Zammit Montebello and Charlo Bonnici.
Dr Pullicino Orlando, a dentist by profession who, despite being mentioned in a scandal over the development of a disco on his property in Mistra, managed to get elected from two electoral districts, will be relinquishing his seat on the seventh district. His place will most probably be taken by one of the following: former Parliamentary Secretary Tony Abela, Emmanuel Agius, Jacqueline Azzopardi, Joanne Farrugia Galea, Żebbuġ councillor Philip Mifsud, Siġġiewi mayor Robert Musumeci or David Vassallo.
Mr Galea, who has not made it to Parliament this time round, might be lucky to get in through the back door by replacing Mr Fenech on the 12th district. Other keen contenders for this seat are sports journalist and newly-elected Mellieħa mayor Robert Cutajar, lawyer Martin Fenech and Dr Abela.
As had happened in 2003, former Foreign Minister Michael Frendo was not elected to Parliament at this general election. However, as he had done in 2003, he might make it to the House thanks to the casual election to fill the seat vacated by Mr Arrigo on the ninth district.
Other contenders for the much-coveted seat are former MPs Joe Falzon and Franco Galea as well as Donald Felice, St Julians deputy mayor Karl Gouder, Noel Muscat, Pippo Psaila, John Rizzo Naudi, outspoken lawyer Georg Sapiano and Charles Selvaggi.
If Dr Frendo fails to get elected on the ninth district, there will still be a ray of hope for him on the 10th. Other contenders on this district are: Valletta mayor Paul Borg Olivier, Mr Falzon and Franco Galea, Dr Felice, Mr Gouder and Mr Psaila. In the Labour camp, the candidates elected on two districts are former leader Alfred Sant, acting leader Charles Mangion, deputy leader Michael Falzon, former Education Minister Evarist Bartolo, former Foreign Minister George Vella and MP Helena Dalli.
On the second district, Dr Falzon's seat may be taken by former MP Chris Agius while Joseph Vella Bonnici seems to be a keen contender for this seat. Other contenders are former MP Rita Law and Duncan Mifsud.
On the third district, Ms Dalli's vacated seat is expected to be taken by young lawyer Owen Bonnici who is in the race along with Ms Law, Joseph Abela, Stefan Buontempo and Mr Agius, Fgura councillor Etienne Grech, Ivan Vladimir Buttigieg and Darren Marmarà.
Former MP Joe Sammut who last election made it to Parliament after being elected on the fifth district, might return through the casual election on this district. He stands a chance of replacing Dr Vella. Other possible contenders are Joe Farrugia, Ansel Migneco Farrugia, Silvio Izzi Savona and Edric Micallef.
Former MP Gavin Gulia was the favourite to replace Dr Mangion on the sixth district but it seems he will not be contesting the casual election. As a result, 23-year-old Silvio Schembri might be the youngest MP elected to be Parliament at this election. Another contender is Sebastian Muscat.
On the eighth district, the favourites are former MP Joe Debono Grech and lawyer Edward Zammit Lewis while on the 10th district, former MP Joseph Cuschieri might make it to Parliament but he has to battle for the seat with Sliema councillor Martin Debono, former journalist Gino Cauchi and with Chris Bonett.
Electoral Commissioner Edward Gatt told The Times yesterday the MPs vacating their seats have to inform the clerk of the House of Representatives who will, in turn, inform the Prime Minister, who will then communicate the information to President Eddie Fenech Adami before the writ for the casual elections is issued. The commission will then accept nominations over three days and after a two-day grace period the counting process will begin.
The names mentioned above are subject to them contesting the casual elections because any candidate can refuse to contest the casual election.