Former prime minister Alfred Sant does not believe the next President must be from the PN. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

Former Labour prime minister Alfred Sant yesterday described the PN’s call on the government to nominate the next President from the Opposition camp as smacking of “arrogance and hypocrisy”.

In his weekly blog on iNews, Dr Sant, an MEP candidate, argued that in 2009 the Nationalist government had opted to break the mould and nominate somebody outside the government’s ranks as President just to leave a positive impression on the electorate prior to adopting its “arrogant” approach.

The decision was also motivated by other “occult” reasons, he claimed, although he did not spell them out.

Before George Abela became President, he said, there had been four successive Presidents all hailing from the PN ranks.

While acknowledging that they all rose above partisan politics and served their county well, he said their appointment, especially that of Eddie Fenech Adami in 2004, had been divisive.

Dr Fenech Adami had stepped into the role straight after bowing out of the political arena, he noted.

Times of Malta asked former prime minister Lawrence Gonzi whether the Labour government should reciprocate his decision to nominate Dr Abela but he declined to comment. He said ultimately it was up to the people to cast their judgement on the issue.

Dr Sant’s views received the backing of former health minister Edwin Grech, who in 1999 had been nominated for President by the Labour Party, then in Opposition.

“This debate has been started by PN leader Simon Busuttil, but ultimately it is the Prime Minister’s prerogative to decide,” Prof. Grech said, adding that four of the last five Presidents hailed from government ranks.

On the other side of the fence, PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami described the choice of Dr Abela as President as a positive development and a step forward for Maltese politics.

Before George Abela, there had been four successive PN Presidents

“Our call for the next President to be appointed from the Opposition camp reflects the popular sentiment out there that Dr Abela’s presidency has been a resounding success,” he said. He said Dr Sant was out of touch with the people.

Probed about the fact that unlike in 2009, the current administration enjoys a huge majority, Dr Fenech Adami said that having a nine-seat parliamentary majority would be another argument in favour of not nominating somebody from within the government’s ranks.

Columnist and former Nationalist minister Michael Falzon said the Prime Minister would be under immense pressure to nominate somebody from the Labour camp.

“The argument that the Labour government must reciprocate and appoint a President with a PN background does not hold water, as there is no formal agreement on this,” he added.

He also noted that current political circumstances were radically different from those of 2009, when the PN had a wafer-thin majority.

Labour MP Marlene Farrugia told Times of Malta that the political background of the next President would be of secondary importance as long the nominated person symbolised national reconciliation and rose above party politics.

While heaping praise on Dr Abela’s qualities, she remarked that the pool of people to choose from who would rise to the challenge was very limited.

“To me it does not make a difference whether the nominated person hails from the PL, PN or AD as long as he or she is an actively unifying figure, proud of our Maltese identity and determined to be a pillar for this country through the upcoming challenges,” said Dr Farrugia.