Embattled Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced on Sunday he planned to step down, saying on state television he would ask his ruling Labour Party to start a process on Jan. 12 to choose a new leader for the country.
Muscat's government has been in crisis over an investigation into the murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Calls for him to step down intensified after the probe led to charges on Saturday against a prominent businessman with alleged ties to government ministers and senior officials.
"I will write to the president of the Labour Party so that the process for a new leader is set for 12th January 2020. On that day I will resign as leader of the Labour Party. In the days after I will resign as prime minister," Muscat said.
"Our country thus will start a short process of approximately a month for the Labour Party to choose a new leader and a new prime minister," he added.