A tough contest between six contenders is expected for the election of general secretary of the Malta Labour Party, to take place next month.

The outgoing general secretary, Jimmy Magro, who had held the position for more than 10 years, is not in the running - he has announced he will be contesting the European parliament election in June.

Sources said the post will be contested by former party president Wenzu Mintoff, who has in the past headed Alternattiva Demokratika, Jason Micallef, Alfred Grixti, Keith Grech, Chris Agius and Joe Chetcuti.

The post of party president is being contested by the controversial Manwel Cuschieri and Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, a young lawyer considered a moderate in the party.

Speaking with The Times, Mr Micallef, a well known face on state television, confirmed he would be running for the post of general secretary.

He said his priorities would be to develop a new corporate image for the party as well as to sharpen the party's image and relations with the media.

Mr Micallef said he believed there was a strong need to improve the way the party projected itself on television, newspapers and other media.

"We have been doing the same thing for more than a decade. It's time for change," he said.

He said he believed there was a strong need for new faces in the party. "By new faces I mean new young faces."

Mr Micallef said he believed the party defeats at the polls were not a coincidence. "We have to work hard to get back people who for one reason or another distanced themselves from the party. We also have to strengthen the relations between the administration of the party and the local committees as well as with our local councillors."

On the issue of EU membership, Mr Micallef said he was in perfect agreement that the party has to accept the new reality of EU membership. He argued that this was not a U-turn because the party had consistently argued over the years that it would respect the verdict of the electorate as expressed in a general election.