I refer to my letter ‘Gonzi the statesman’ (The Sunday Times of Malta, August 18). One would expect some negative comments from persons who either do not know the meaning of the word ‘statesman’ or simply do not want to acknowledge the fact that Lawrence Gonzi was indeed a statesman.

It is pathetic, however, that some local commentators still believe that a leader is a statesman if one wins a landslide victory or is elected Prime Minister.

It takes much more than an electoral victory to be a statesman. Winston Churchill was definitely a statesman, yet he was defeated in the 1945 election.

Those who are not capable of acknowledging that Gonzi was a statesman are still benefiting from his statesmanship.

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