Robert Abela wins election to be prime minister of Malta and calls for unity after Joseph Muscat's resignation over journalist's murder

Political newcomer Robert Abela is set to become Malta’s new prime minister after being elected leader of the ruling party in the wake of a scandal over the murder of an investigative journalist.

Mr Abela, a 42-year-old lawyer, faces a turbulent political environment after the forced exit of Joseph Muscat in the wake of the controversy.

Mr Muscat announced his resignation last month, surrendering to political pressure and widespread public anger over his alleged attempt to protect his allies from a probe into the 2017 killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Mr Muscat has repeatedly denied any involvement in the journalist’s murder, promising to do whatever possible to find out who plotted and executed it.

However, when it emerged in November that some of his friends and closest political allies were involved in the probe, popular protests mounted, with thousands of people marching in the streets of Valletta to urge Mr Muscat’s immediate resignation.

The scandal drew harsh criticism from EU members and forced Mr Muscat to kickstart the process to elect a new leader of his Labour party.

Mr Abela won nearly 58 per cent of the vote held on Saturday by the party’s eligible members, defeating rival Chris Fearne, who was supported by several cabinet ministers.

"I am humbled. I thank my friend Chris (Fearne) and look forward to working together for the good of the party and country,” said Abela, who is the son of George Abela, Malta’s president between 2009 and 2014.

Both candidates had pledged continuity with Mr Muscat during their political campaign. Mr Muscat congratulated Mr Abela on his victory, saying on Twitter that he will be proud to handle the prime minister’s office over to him on Monday.

Mr Muscat had come under increasing pressure to quit since his former chief of staff Keith Schembri was arrested in connection with the killing of Caruana Galizia.

Mr Schembri, who denies wrongdoing, was later released, but is still under investigation. Three men are facing trial for carrying out the assassination, while a fourth, the prominent Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech, has been charged with complicity in the murder. He has pleaded not guilty.

The wide net of corruption allegations involving powerful Maltese politicians and businessmen had been the focus of Caruana Galizia’s investigations. She had been sent threats shortly before being killed in a car bomb on Oct. 17, 2017.

Mr Schembri was among the government members named in her reports. Eight months before her death, Caruana Galizia had written about a mysterious Dubai-registered company, 17 Black.

The company was listed in the Panama Papers - leaked documents that revealed how the rich and powerful use tax havens to get around the law.

Caruana Galizia alleged that 17 Black had links to both Mr Schembri and former Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi, who also resigned last month following the latest developments in the case.  Mr Mizzi also denies any wrongdoing.

Mr Fenech, the businessman charged after the government turned down his request for immunity from prosecution in return for revealing information about the murder plot, was identified last year as the owner of 17 Black.