Attard Montalto resigns from the House

Labour MP John Attard Montalto resigned from the House of Representatives yesterday after having been elected a member of the European Parliament.

He read his resignation letter to the Speaker of the House at the beginning of yesterday's sitting.

Adding some comments, Dr Attard Montalto said it had been an honour and a pleasure for him to serve the country in the House. A political career demanded service. A minority viewed a political career as an opportunity to make gain, something which cast politicians in a bad light. MPs should counteract this impression by respecting one another, being more tolerant of criticism, and working collectively.

He augured that more of the opposition's suggestions in the House would be accepted by the government, whichever it was. There was also a need for a collective effort by the government and the opposition for the country to regain confidence in itself, safeguard what was good, such as its social services, and together work to break the cycle of whatever was not good, such as the economic problems.

Some subjects should be considered above politics, since they were essential, and a small country such as Malta could ill-afford to make its limitations more acute through division.

Dr Attard Montalto thanked the Speaker and his staff and all past and present fellow MPs. Parliament should be viewed by the people as an honourable institution, and politicians should be regarded with admiration, but MPs could only command respect if they respected one another, he concluded.

Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg congratulated all five newly-elected MEPs, particularly Dr Attard Montalto who was the only MP to have been elected MEP.

He praised and thanked Dr Attard Montalto for his service, including his independence of thought on several issues.

Although Dr Attard Montalto was resigning as MP, he would still be participating as observer in sittings of the House European and Foreign Affairs. This is not the end of Dr Attard Montalto's political career, but the closing of one phase and the opening of another.

It was true that people sometimes had the wrong image of politicians, for which the politicians themselves could be partly to blame. Those who took politics seriously made great sacrifices. It would be good for certain writers to keep this in mind.

Opposition deputy leader Charles Mangion said Dr Attard Montalto would be missed, and thanked him for his sterling work. Although he would be starting a new career in a completely different scenario he would still be serving the country, and would surely do what was best in the national interest.

The Speaker, Anton Tabone, associated himself with both sides of the House, but especially with Dr Attard Montalto's appeal for reciprocal respect between MPs. He thanked him on behalf of Parliament for his service and wished him well in his work in the European Parliament. He also congratulated the other Maltese MEPs.

Dr John Attard Montalto was elected to the House at his first attempt in 1987 and was elected from two districts in the elections of 1992, 1996 and 1998. He was elected from the sixth district at last year's general election.

A casual election will now have to be held to fill his Parliamentary seat. But the only Labour candidate on that district who was not elected from that or some other district was Roderick Galdes. The other candidates were Marie Louise Coleiro and Charles Mangion, elected from that district, Joe Debono Grech, who was elected from the eighth district, and Gavin Gulia, who was elected from the seventh.

Dr Attard Montalto lost an MLP leadership contest last year.

Should no one contest the casual election a cooption would be necessary.