Former prime minister Dom Mintoff was a man who made his voice heard, chose his mission and implemented what he believed in, according to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

Mr Mintoff was a Maltese of global stature who managed to divide the past from the future, Dr Muscat said during the unveiling of a monument of the four-time prime minister in Paolino Vassallo Square, Cospicua.

Commissioned by the Labour Party, the statue was unveiled on Friday, the eve of the 40th anniversary of Republic Day.

Another monument dedicated to Mr Mintoff will be unveiled by the government at Castille Square, Valletta, next year – the last of a series of three that included former presidents Guido de Marco and Ċensu Tabone. Dr Muscat said the statue in Cospicua, Mr Mintoff’s birthplace, captured him at the moment where he decided where he wanted to take the island – looking ahead with a clear mind, his feet firmly on the ground.

“This monument shows Mintoff just before he presented the people with two different options: integration or independence.”

Dr Muscat asked if there was need for a monument dedicated to Mr Mintoff when no matter where you looked you could spot something he had contributed to his people and his country.

“Mintoff was the motor that changed Labour from a small party on the sidelines of Malta’s political arena, into a strong movement that embraced all those who believed they could make a difference,” he said.

Mr Mintoff, Dr Muscat said, also made Malta a Republic, giving the country a Maltese Head of State.