MEP Joseph Muscat yesterday officially announced his intention to submit his nomination for the leadership of the Labour Party.
The election for a new party leader will be held on June 5. Alfred Sant resigned after the MLP lost the March 8 election.
Dr Muscat, a graduate in management, public policy and European Studies with a doctorate in economy and managerial research, said yesterday he will submit his nomination without any conditions attached and, if elected, was willing to work with any persons chosen by the party to all posts, including those of deputy leaders.
He said that, in the coming weeks, he would be meeting all involved to listen to their views and to explain his programme of work.
Dr Muscat said the country needed major environmental, social and economic reforms to reach the development levels of other countries in the European Union.
A strengthened, changed and positive MLP was the best way of implementing such reforms, bringing together all sectors of society, such as employees, businessmen, youths, women and Maltese living abroad, Dr Muscat said.
For this to be done one had to immediately start building a broad-based movement that included the country's best elements, all those who had innovative and progressive ideas and the ability and initiative to implement wealth-creation projects and those who were fed up with the destruction of the environment.
For the party to be able to build such a wide movement, it needed to first strengthen from within. It also needed a leader who would be capable of attracting the respect not just of its activists but also of those who no longer felt part or were never close to it.
"I believe I can be a person who would unite all these elements leading to a Labour government by 2013 in order to implement our aspirations for the people and the country. I believe I can give vision and energy so that within 60 months we would be chosen by the people to lead the country," he said.
Dr Muscat said the foundations of his project were young people, a category that Labour did not attract enough in recent years. "I want to show my young colleagues that with the Labour Party and the movement we would be setting up together they could be part of a victorious generation."
He said that after discussing the situation with his family and many others, he decided to submit his nomination for party leader once the nominations opened.
Drawing on his experience in the European Parliament, the world's largest democratic institution, he would be able to serve the country in a more direct manner.
Dr Muscat was elected to the European Parliament in Malta's first EP election in 2004, obtaining 36,985 votes, making him the Labour candidate acquiring the largest number of votes. He had obtained the highest number of votes among Labour candidates in 12 of 13 districts.
In the European Parliament his colleagues elected him vice-president of the Economy and Monetary Affairs Committee, the youngest person ever to be appointed in a similar position.
He is married to Michelle and they have twin daughters.
George Abela, former MLP deputy leader for party affairs, told The Times yesterday he was still interested in running for the post of party leader.
Other possible candidates, although none have so far confirmed they will be submitting their nomination, are Michael Falzon, Marie Louise Coleiro and Evarist Bartolo. Efforts to contact them yesterday proved futile.