The feeling among most MPs yesterday morning was that of a first day of school, with a lot of bonhomie that contrasted sharply with the solemnity of the State Opening of the Eleventh Legislature since Independence.
First to arrive at the House of Representatives was Labour MP Joe Debono Grech, the longest-serving MP in this legislature, at around 10.25 am.
A few minutes later, he was joined by fellow Labour MP Helena Dalli, who complained that there wasn’t enough parking space reserved for parliamentarians; followed shortly after by Michel Farrugia and Joseph M. Sammut.
On the Nationalist side, the first MP to arrive was former Minister Ninu Zammit, shortly after 10.30 am.
The rest arrived with the pack that walked from St John’s Co-Cathedral, where Mass was concelebrated by Archbishop Paul Cremona OP at 9.30 am, to the House of Representatives.
They were greeted by a handful of Graffitti protestors who managed to gather behind the police barricades in St George’s Square, holding out placards and banners reading “Demokrazija Dittatorjali – Qed Taghmel li Tridu!” (“Dictatorship Democracy: You’re Doing What You Want!”).
The House of Representative elected Louis Galea as Speaker and Carmelo Abela as Deputy Speaker. In both cases, they were seconded by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Opposition leader Alfred Sant.
Gonzi said that in the past 15 days there had been discussions with the Opposition on Parliamentary procedure, and that these discussions were set to continue.
They agreed that until a new Labour leader is elected on June 5, Galea would serve as speaker and Abela as deputy speaker. If both sides of the House then agreed on somebody else to take their place, both would resign.
Opposition leader Alfred Sant, who stood next to acting Labour leader Charles Mangion and Michael Falzon, confirmed that there had been discussions between the two parties which had led to this interim arrangement.
The 69 MPs then took their oaths of allegiance to the Constitution of Malta, starting with Gonzi, Sant (who, as a self-confessed agnostic, was the only MP who chose to take his Oath of Allegiance without kissing the cross), ministers, parliamentary secretaries, the deputy speaker, and finally, the MPs.
The PN backbench made for a depressing sight, with its bevy of former ministers and parliamentary secretaries, all erstwhile heavyweights since 1998.
Edwin Vassallo sat next to Jesmond Mugliett, Ninu Zammit next to Louis Deguara, and Francis Zammit Dimech next to Censu Galea, with Francis Agius sitting solo.
By way of contrast the youngest MPs on both sides of the House – Owen Bonnici for the Opposition and Franco Debono for the Government – were beaming as they took their oaths of allegiance.
The alphabet saw to it that a former husband and wife took the oath of allegiance one after the other: newly-elected Labour MP Marlene Pullicino and Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.
They did not look at each other as they walked passed each other to and from the Speaker to take their oath.
Fate arranged for newly-elected Nationalist MP Charlo’ Bonnici taking his oath of allegiance in front of his former employer, who did not make it to the House as an MP this time.
In his speech from the throne, President Edward Fenech Adami outlined the Nationalist Government’s programme for this Legislature, and called for a “pact for sustainable development” among all Maltese citizens in order to face the challenges facing this country.
“The Government believes wholeheartedly that it would be convenient for the country to form a national consensus about how these challenges have to be faced.
“Therefore I am immediately open the door for all those who want to work in the best interest of the country. In its work, the Government has to be everybody’s Government and a Government for everybody,” he said.

czahra@mediatoday.com.mt