Malta’s 12th Parliament opened with a sizzle yesterday morning as Opposition leader Lawrence Gonzi first slammed and then led the vote against Anġlu Farrugia’s nomination as Speaker.

President’s speech was partisan, echoing Labour’s slogans- PN

Dr Gonzi said the nomination, which subsequently passed 39-30, went against the spirit of the Constitution that he said indicated a Speaker should ideally be nominated from within Parliament.

“From now onwards, every Government will pick a Speaker from outside Parliament,” he said.

The Nationalist Party has strongly opposed the Government’s decision to unilaterally nominate Dr Farrugia, who until December served as Labour’s deputy leader, without consultation with the Opposition.

Dr Farrugia was forced out of the political scene by Dr Muscat last December after accusing a magistrate of political bias, just a few days after a calamitous performance in a debate with PN deputy leader Simon Busuttil on TV show Xarabank.

Dr Gonzi’s fiery tone was matched by a politically charged speech by President George Abela, which opened by saying the “age of arrogant leadership” was over and concluded by remarking that the general election result had shown that the people were “ready to come together to make the right decisions for the country”.

Aside from laying out the Government’s legislative agenda, Dr Abela set an end-of-2014 target for the splitting up of the Malta Environmental and Planning Authority and said “aggressive investment” in solar and other renewable energy sources would make good for the previous Administration’s “failure”.

The Nationalist Party last night described Dr Abela’s speech as a partisan one which echoed the Labour Party’s electoral slogans.

On his part, Dr Farrugia used his maiden speech to apologise to any MPs he might have let down in the past. He sought to assure the Opposition that as Speaker he would be “very, very distant from the temptation of partisan politics”.

“My loyalty is to the people and the Constitution. I will see to it that parliamentary rights, especially those of the minority, are protected,” Dr Farrugia said.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said he was disappointed with the Opposition’s stance.

“I had hoped to begin this legislature more positively, not with this après moi, la deluge attitude,” he remarked.

Dr Gonzi accused the Prime Minister of using the speakership nomination, and with it public funds, to “hold out a hand in friendship to those who accused you of political assassination”.

He nevertheless assured Parliament and Dr Farrugia the Opposition would respect the majority decision and treat the Speakership with “the dignity it deserves”.

Disagreement over Dr Farrugia’s nomination threatened to overshadow the otherwise agreeable atmosphere surrounding the opening of Parliament.

MPs first attended a ceremonial Mass at St John’s co-Cathedral led by Archbishop Paul Cremona, who urged them to humble themselves and “learn from one another”.

They then ambled to Parliament, where they chatted amicably among themselves – Finance Minister Edward Scicluna chatting with his Opposition counterpart Tonio Fenech stood out – until called to take their seats.

Presidents emeritus Ugo Mifsud Bonnici and Eddie Fenech Adami were present, as was Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri.

Malta’s 69 MPs each took their oath of office, with Labour parliamentary fixture Joe Debono Grech prompting a House-wide chuckle when he ended his oath by noting “that’s the 11th time”.

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