The national executive of the Labour Party has approved the first group of candidates to contest the next general election on behalf of the party.This decision follows a thorough review by the Candidate Commission, led by Notary Charles Mangion, which analysed the applications of prospective candidates over the past weeks.The initial group includes 17 candidates, featuring five new faces:Vania Agius Tabone – Districts 8 and 9Martina Buhagiar – Districts 2 and 3David Caruana – Districts 9 and 10Lisa Cassar Shaw – Districts 9 and 10Mariah Meli – Districts 9 and 10The remaining candidates in this first group are:Carmelo Abela – Districts 2 and 3Anthony Agius Decelis – Districts 7 and 11Jonathan Attard – Districts 4 and 12Keith Azzopardi Tanti – Districts 1 and 8Glenn Bedingfield – Districts 1 and 2Chris Bonett – Districts 3 and 4Owen Bonnici – Districts 3 and 5Lorna Borg Vassallo – Districts 9 and 10Andy Ellul – Districts 3 and 4Michael Falzon – Districts 9 and 10James Grech – Districts 2 and 3Damian Spiteri – Districts 10 and 12The Candidate Commission will continue reviewing applications and approving candidates in the coming weeks.•