Controversial author, Alex Vella Gera, chose not to accept the Republic Day honour offered to him. That was his right and his decision should be respected.

What, in my opinion, was not his right is that he should insult all those who were honoured, not just in this year’s Republic Day ceremony but in all past ceremonies as well, by saying that this Republic Day ceremony “is a farce”. Incredibly, Simon Busuttil and his motley crew, grasped on Vella Gera’s use of the word “farce” and splashed it in bold type on the party’s newspaper as the main story on Saturday!

Little did Busuttil and friends realise that what Vella Gera had said had demeaned all those persons who had any Republic Day honour bestowed on them, which includes so many former or present Presidents, prime ministers, MPs, officials and members of the Nationalist Party itself. This, I believe, was the real “farce”.

No wonder Busuttil’s trust rating is not making any head way!