Carmelo Abela will be nominated for the role of Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The state opening of Parliament is set to take place on Saturday, and Prime Minister Robert Abela will table a motion proposing Mr Carmelo Abela’s appointment.

Carmelo Abela was first elected in 1996, and has been elected to Parliament in every election since. Throughout his political career, he has held a number of posts. He served as Deputy Speaker in Parliament for more than seven years during the 2003 and 2008 legislatures. In April 2013, he was appointed Government Whip. In December 2014 he was appointed Minister for Home Affairs and National Security, and in June 2017, he was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Promotion of Commerce.

In January 2020, Mr Abela had been appointed as Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister. He will be relinquishing his seat in Parliament to take up the post. This will mean that a casual election will need to be held on the 3rd District.

A Government statement thanked former Speaker Anglu Farrugia for his service during the last three legislatures.

Writing on social media, Mr Abela said he is both honoured and grateful for the trust that the Government is placing in him through this nomination.

“This is a great responsibility," he said, adding that he accepts with a sense of duty toward the country and with full commitment to democracy.

“This was not an easy decision, especially because for this legislature I will be relinquishing my parliamentary seat so that the majority as expressed by the electorate is respected. At this moment, I would like to sincerely thank all those who have supported me, as well as those who placed their trust in me during the last general election.”

He also thanked former speaker Anglu Farrugia for his years of service.