The last Gieh ir-Repubblika of the Fenech Adami era
Charlot Zahra President Eddie Fenech Adami yesterday presided over Republic Day for his last time as his five-year term of office expires in four months’ time next April.
In a historical irony, Fenech Adami had to present the Gieh ir-Repubblika award to Lino Spiteri, one of his major political adversaries in the eighties and a critic of his appointment as president.
Eighteen people or organisations were honoured by the State for their work in favour of Maltese society when they were bestowed with Gieh ir-Repubblika during the traditional investiture ceremony yesterday morning.
Lord Ivor Judge, the Chief Justice of England and Wales, who is of Maltese descent, was appointed an Honorary Member of Xirka Gieh ir-Repubblika.
Former Labour Minister Lino Spiteri and former Speaker of the House of Representatives Anton Tabone were appointed Companions of the National Order of Merit.
Seven people were appointed as Members of the National Order of Merit: lawyer Kathrine Camilleri for her work among refugees in Malta; Professor Joe Friggieri; Dominican Priest Mikiel Fsadni, best known for the find of Pietru Caxaro’s Cantilena; former Heritage Malta Chairman Mario Tabone – who was not re-appointed in the post after the 8 March general election by the new Education and Culture Minister Dolores Cristina, who appointed banker Joe Said instead; hotelier Winston V Zahra, and dentistry professor George Albert Zarb.
Another nine awards were granted in the “Midalja ghall-Qadi tar-Repubblika” category – GRTU Director-General Vince Farrugia, dance choreographer Tanya Bayona, philanthropists Doris Cusens and Patricia Troubridge, expert in sacred flower arrangements Myriam England, singer Ira Losco, music conductor Brian Schembri and the Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta.
This was the first time that an award was given to collective group after the amendments to the Gieh ir-Repubblika Act earlier this year.
In his short speech, Fenech Adami described the last general election as another demonstration of the “democratic maturity of the electorate despite an electorate split politically down the middle”.
The President did not make any reference to the appointment of his successor, but the discussion in the political arena has already started in earnest.
In fact, Joseph Muscat has already declared that Labour would be proposing a number of people for this post; people who might not necessarily come from the political spectrum.
Alternattiva Demokrarika (AD) chairperson Arnold Cassola had proposed that political parties should agree on the name of the person who would be appointed as the next President.
“We should elect a person who is respected by everybody and unites the Maltese people together for the first time since Sir Anthony Mamo and is elected by a good majority of MPs,” Cassola had said during a meeting with the Labour leader on 21 June.
Interestingly enough, one of the recipients of yesterday’s award, Lino Spiteri, had also disagreed with Fenech Adami’s appointment as President.
“A Prime Minister should not move on straight away to becoming President, whoever he is,” he had told MaltaToday.
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