Former Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi says Joseph Muscat must step down now

Marlene Mizzi has joined the growing chorus within the Labour Party demanding that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat step down immediately.

The former Labour MEP took to Facebook to voice her belief that Muscat should resign immediately for the country’s sake, insisting in a subsequent post that a leadership election was being prioritised over stability in the country.

“The post of deputy PM is there to take over the premiership when needed. We need this to happen now!” she said.

The voices within the PL asking Muscat to leave now are growing, although very few have expressed their views publicly.

A negotiated plan to have just one contestant for leadership – Chris Fearne – was scuppered when Robert Abela decided not to play ball and instead throw his hat in the ring.

Labour insiders were hoping that with just one contestant, the leadership changeover could have happened as early as this week and not 12 January.

Marlene Mizzi questions the wisdom of prioritising the leadership race over the country's stability

However, with a contest now appearing likely, the party will be sticking to its original timeframes.

Muscat announced he will be leaving on 12 January when the party elects a new leader. There has been widespread criticism over Muscat’s decision to prolong his exit in the wake of damning court revelations that have implicated his former chief of staff Keith Schembri in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.