Former Nationalist MP and Speaker Louis Galea had been the only Nationalist MP in the running for President when George Abela was elected, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando said this morning.
In a statement replying to a letter by Dr Galea, in which the latter seemed to be lamenting the fact that Dr Pullicino Orlando included him in a list of sidelined Nationalist MPs and personalities by the 'oligarchy', Dr Pullicino Orlando said:
"I will obviously not divulge what was said during a number of private meetings me and Dr. Galea had at our respective homes in 2008-2009. I would only like to remind everyone of an already publicly known fact:
"I was the only Nationalist MP to refrain from giving my support to President George Abela's nomination for the post of President in parliament in 2009.
"I have publicly declared that I did this not out of any form of disrespect towards Dr George Abela, but because I felt that we should have nominated a Nationalist for the post.
"The only prominent Nationalist who was in the running and who had publicly expressed his interest in the post was Dr Louis Galea."
In his letter, Dr Galea said that for nearly 30 years until he was elected Speaker, he worked very closely with Mr Cachia Caruana in the team led by Eddie Fenech Adami and later Lawrence Gonzi.
"In all the administrations formed by the two Prime Ministers until 2008 I was each time invited to serve as Minister of the Malta Government. In 2008, I was nominated by Prime Minister Gonzi, and seconded by Alfred Sant, then Leader of the Opposition, to be elected Speaker of the House of Representative. In 2010, following Prime Minister Gonzi's nomination, I became a member of the European Court of Auditors, a position which does not allow me to involve myself in or to comment on matters of political controversy.
"The above facts speak for themselves.
"However, having said this, may I also say that, on my perch in the European institution in Luxembourg where I work, I am saddened that events in our country are prompting déjà vu questions and comments. I could not help perceiving in these a flickering orange light reminding me how important it is for one and all to nurture the first class reputation Malta has painfully succeeded to build as an EU member."