PN leader Lawrence Gonzi described Dr Sant as a "worthy adversary" shortly after the latter announced his resignation yesterday. He took the opportunity to thank Dr Sant, who gave so much of his energy and even his health for the country for all the years he had been active in politics and as Labour leader.

Dr Gonzi said he had seen Dr Sant in the various positions he himself had occupied throughout the years, maintaining that he has always had "a relationship of great and mutual respect for him, naturally with differing opinions" - the beauty of politics, after all.

"I wish him the very best from the bottom of my heart in this moment that brings the whole country together - this great country of ours, which demands maturity to work together for the good of everyone," Dr Gonzi said.

On the fact that the MLP would now be going through a process of renewal, Dr Gonzi again wished the MLP well, saying this was part of the democratic process.

"The country needs political parties that are strong and that participate so that democracy is strengthened," he told the media after his first public address since the announcement of his victory on Sunday night.

Former MLP deputy leader George Vella, who had been nominated by Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici to replace him as party leader in 1992, something Dr Vella did not accept, said: "I respect his decision".

"Dr Sant is a very democratic and cautious person who thinks before acting and who has a long-term vision. Unfortunately, the means one uses to spread messages in Malta are not equal to all," he said.

Novelist Frans Sammut, who has just published the book Alfred Sant Il-Viżjoni għall-Bidla, described Dr Sant, whom he has known since the 1960s, as "a man of great integrity, a gentleman first and foremost".

Dr Sant, Mr Sammut said, believes what he says, can be very deep in thought and his immediate resignation confirms what a gentleman he is, someone who does not play behind the scenes.

The resignation comes as a fitting end to his career as party leader and he will now go back to contributing to the country in a literary way, Mr Sammut hoped.

"I hope he will continue to write and that we will continue to discuss his writings. He would have had much more time to write had he not been in politics and I am looking forward to the time when he again starts putting his thoughts on paper."

Mr Sammut described Dr Sant as "a very objective person, so objective that it is difficult for others to know what he is feeling". He may look cold to people but he is not. He constantly tries to be objective even with himself and that makes him a very good writer, Mr Sammut said.

In his book on Dr Sant, Mr Sammut wrote that what he treasured most about the man was "his humanity".

Former Parliament Speaker Daniel Micallef, who, when Dr Sant was Prime Minister, had chaired the commission which drew up a report on politically correct behaviour, also described Dr Sant as a man of great integrity.

To demonstrate Dr Sant's integrity, he recounted an incident involving him and former Nationalist Minister Michael Falzon in Parliament. Dr Micallef said he had been offended by something the former minister said and he crossed the House and slapped Mr Falzon in the face with the papers he was holding.

Dr Gonzi, then Speaker, suspended the House to see what decision he should take about Dr Micallef. Dr Micallef recounted how Dr Sant, then a backbencher, immediately went in front of him and told him that what he (Dr Micallef) had just done was wrong and asked him to apologise.

Dr Micallef said by then he was calming down and realised how right Dr Sant was. He told him so and immediately sent the chief messenger to Dr Gonzi saying he was going to apologise.

"To me, Dr Sant is a man of great integrity." It was true, however, that sometimes one has to make an effort to understand him.

Dr Micallef said that, as a doctor, he was impressed with Dr Sant's stamina and how he had recovered following his December operation.

Asked whether he agreed with his decision to step down, Dr Micallef said he would have done the same thing had he been in Dr Sant's position.