Joseph Muscat's resignation letter published, seven months on

Joseph Muscat's letter of resignation as prime minister has been published - more than seven months after it was sent to President George Vella.

In the three-paragraph document, Muscat gave no reason for his stepping down other than to say that he was submitting his resignation since a new Labour Party leader had been elected.

The letter is dated January 13 but was only published on Monday.

The Office of the President had refused to publish the letter. Muscat published it on his Facebook page on Monday, after consultation with the Office of the President, saying he was doing so to avoid speculation. 

Muscat had announced his intention to resign late in November amid the political fall-out from the investigation into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. 

He called on President Vella on November 29, when, it is believed, he told him of his intention to step down. He publicly announced his plans on December 1, saying he would stay on until a new Labour leader was elected in early January.

[attach id=914229 size="large" align="left" type="image"]The resignation letter.[/attach]

Although Muscat had said after the 2017 general election that that was to be his last...