Simon Busuttil was sworn in as Leader of the Opposition this evening, five days after he was elected leader of the Nationalist Party.
He later spoke in Parliament, saying the Opposition would be strong but constructive and it would cooperate with the government as long as it was free to criticise where required.
The swearing in ceremony, presided by President George Abela, was held at the palace in Valletta in the presence of one of Dr Busuttil's sons, his parents, the Attorney General and a number of MPs, candidates and officials of the PN.
Dr Busuttil is due to announce his Shadow Cabinet tomorrow.
He has taken over from Lawrence Gonzi, who held the post for just under two months. Dr Gonzi has indicated he will resign from Parliament.
WELCOME IN PARLIAMENT
The Speaker of the House, Anglu Farrugia, welcomed Dr Busuttil in his new post and said he was confident he would work in the best interests of all the people and parliamentary democracy.
He also thanked and paid tribute to Dr Gonzi (who is currently abroad).
Quoting British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, Dr Farrugia said that no government could be strong without a formidable opposition.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat congratulated Dr Busuttil and said he was confident that their mutual experience in the European Parliament would enable them to open a new page in relations between the government and the opposition. The government would welcome the scrutiny of the opposition and it was seeking consensus as much as possible as a 'preferred option'.
The two sides, he said, would need to work together as a team.
He expected that they would disagree at times, but he was confident they would be loyal adversaries.
Dr Muscat said he knew the role of Opposition leader well, and, quoting British Prime Minister Tony Blair, he said that was a job that no one wanted and everyone wanted to leave as quickly as possible
Replying, Dr Busuttil paid tribute to Dr Gonzi for his impeccable service in the House and his love for the country and said it was an example he would follow. He said that while the Opposition had criticised the manner of appointment of the Speaker, it would cooperate fully with the Chair.
He said that along with his colleagues, he would work to create a strong but constructive Opposition. In a democracy, an Opposition was a guarantee of pluralism and freedom. The Opposition would keep the government under scrutiny to ensure it kept its electoral promises.
It would, however, offer friendship and cooperation with he government in the national interest. The Opposition would participate fully in the business of the House and its committees because they were an essential instrument of dialogue.
The Opposition would also present its ideas and perspectives.
The Opposition would not simply oppose, but it would help to ensure that this country continued to make progress.
The Opposition, he said, would like to see the creation of a House Petitions Committee to heed the people's grievances.
The Opposition would back measures to make Parliament autonomous and more efficient.
The Opposition would cooperate with the government as long as its role as an Opposition was respected and it did not become participatory n the government.
For example, the Opposition was proposing the reintroduction of the Opposition Nominees Act, to enable the Opposition to better follow the operations of government bodies. It would also instil more responsibility in criticism since the Opposition would be better informed.
Dr Busuttil said he expected parliament to be directly involved in actions to review the Constitution.
Concluded, Dr Busuttil said the Opposition wanted to present the people with valid ideas to help the country overcome its challenges. People should not be made to wait till the year of the election to know where the Opposition stood on various issues, he said.
The Opposition would be serious and loyal, it would offer cooperation while being free to criticise when required in the national interest, Dr Busuttil concluded.