VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese Parliament has unanimously approved with 75 votes in favour and none against the nomination of former Speaker of the House of Representatives Myriam Spiteri Debono as 11th President of the Republic of Malta.
Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela submitted a motion seconded by Opposition Leader Bernard Grech for Notary Spiteri Debono to be appointed President on Thursday 4 April.
Parliamentarians also agreed to the nomination of former Nationalist Minister and MEP Francis Zammit Dimech as Acting President.
Spiteri Debono will be third Gozitan to become President as well as the third woman to reach this position. She had contested a number of general elections and rose to national prominence when she became Speaker in 1996, after the electoral victory of the Labour Party.
Prime Minister Robert Abela said that today is a historical day for our country because one of the constitutional reforms implemented in the last few years for the President to be appointed by two thirds of the House rather than a simple majority as it was previously being used.
The Prime Minister described Myriam Spiteri Debono, as the ideal person to occupy this constitutional role. He mentioned that he worked with her on both on a political and professional level and said that when it came to the choice, Notary Spiteri Debono has all the qualities to bring about national unity. He said that she demonstrated this quality during the difficult period when she was the Speaker of the House between 1996 and 1998. He mentioned that she always voiced her opinions strongly without ever losing her self-respect or showing any lack of respect towards her role. Abela added Myriam Spiteri Debono was never afraid of progress and was always one to look forward to change. He added that her Presidency will be a point of reference for women and she will be the voice of equality He said that Spiteri Debono never sought the limelight and she always spoke up fearlessly when she was Speaker and even recently during her speech to commemorate the Great Siege.
Opposition leader Bernard Grech on his part quoted an excerpt from a speech by Myriam Spiteri Debono on 6 September 2021 when she stressed the need to start afresh and unite as we did in the past, by making the necessary changes as we have already started doing. Grech said that when he heard this speech he immediately remarked that Spiteri Debono has all the necessary qualities to serve in the highest position of authority which Parliament has entrusted her with. He described Spiteri Debono as a person with empathy and he augured that the words she spoke less than three years ago will lead to the country to renew itself and unite as a nation, during her Presidency.
In the same session, the Maltese Parliament approved a motion of thanks for the work carried out by outgoing President George Vella during his presidency in the past five years.
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