Eddie Fenech Adami was yesterday sworn in as the seventh President of Malta, promising to bring about unity.

Born in 1934, the son of a Customs officer, Dr Fenech Adami was educated at the Jesuit's college and the University of Malta, where he studied economics, classics and later law.

He joined the Christian Democratic Nationalist Party in the early 1960s, establishing a reputation as a reserved but determined and capable constituency official.

He entered parliament in 1969 and in 1977, having served in a number of senior party posts, he was elected party leader, succeeding Gorg Borg Olivier.

Dr Fenech Adami's style of leadership immediately generated great support among the electorate and in the 1981 election the PN obtained an absolute majority of the vote but not the majority of seats in parliament. Talks between the Labour government and the opposition led to constitutional changes ensuring majority rule and the PN won the 1987 election when Dr Fenech Adami became Prime Minister for the first time.

He was again elected Prime Minister in 1992 but lost the 1996 election, when the new Labour government led by Alfred Sant froze Malta's EU application.

On being re-elected to power in 1998, Dr Fenech Adami immediately reactivated Malta's EU application and succeeded in concluding negotiations in December 2002.

In April 2003 Dr Fenech Adami was again confirmed as Prime Minister, following yet another electoral victory.

On April 16, 2003, Dr Fenech Adami signed Malta's Accession Treaty with the EU, together with nine other government leaders of countries set to become members on May 1.

On his 70th birthday, last February 7, Dr Fenech Adami tendered his resignation as PN leader and was eventually succeeded by Lawrence Gonzi. Then on March 23 he resigned both the Premiership and his parliamentary seat.

Dr Fenech Adami is married to Mary née Sciberras and they have five children.

The following is a list of Presidents who have served the country since 1974:

¤ Anthony Mamo. Born in Birkirkara on January 9, 1909, he became the first President to serve Malta from 1974 - 1976.

In 1942 he entered the Attorney General's Office as one of the Crown Counsel where he occupied in succession all the grades, until he became Attorney General in 1955. In 1957 he was appointed Chief Justice and President of the Court of Appeal.

Sir Anthony was awarded the OBE in 1957 and a Knighthood in 1959. In 1955 he was appointed Honorary QC for Malta.

On July 3, 1971 Sir Anthony was appointed the first Maltese Governor General.

During his career, Sir Anthony represented Malta at various international congresses and conferences. He was also appointed Knight of the Venerable Order of St John.

¤ Anton Buttigieg. Born in Gozo on February 19, 1912, he served as President between 1976 - 1981. Having graduated as a lawyer he served as a police inspector during World War II. In 1944 he was a law reporter and leader writer for The Times of Malta, before becoming editor of the Voice of Malta in 1959, a post he held until 1970.

He embarked on a political career and was first elected to the House of Representatives in the Labour Party interest in 1955. From 1959 - 1961 he was MLP president and from 1962 - 1976 party deputy leader. In October 1976 he resigned from the House of Representatives and to be elected Malta's second President.

Dr Buttigieg also distinguished himself in the field of literature.

He died on May 5, 1983.

¤ Dr Albert Hyzler. Ad Interim President between 1981 - 1982.

¤ Agatha Barbara. Born in Zabbar on March 11, 1923 she became the first woman to serve as President between 1982 - 1987. She started her career as a teacher and in 1946 she began to take an active part in politics becoming the first woman to be elected to the House of Representatives. She contested all subsequent parliamentary elections and held a seat in the House until the day she was elected President in 1982.

She had a number of firsts and, in 1955, Miss Barbara was appointed Minister for Education and Culture, a post she held for several years.

Miss Barbara died on February 4, 2002.

¤ Mr Paul Xuereb. Ad Interim President between 1987 - 1989.

¤ Dr Censu Tabone. Born in Gozo on March 30, 1913, he served as President between 1989 - 1994. After qualifying as a doctor he pursued his studies in ophthalmology in the UK in 1946, returning to Malta a year later to practice. In 1954 he founded the Medical Officers Union, now the Medical Association. From 1956 he served as a member of the International Panel of Trachoma Experts of the World Health Organisation and was a consultant for many years.

He became active in politics in the early 1960s joining the Nationalist Party executive committee in 1961 and becoming its president in 1978. He contested the elections for the first time in 1962 and was elected MP in 1966. After the election of May 1987, he was appointed Foreign Affairs Minister, resigning in 1989 to become President of Malta.

¤ Ugo Mifsud Bonnici. Born in Cospicua on November 8, 1932, he served as President between 1994 and 1999. A lawyer by profession he followed in his father's footsteps and contested the general election on the ticket of the Nationalist Party in 1966. He was re-elected in all subsequent elections. For 15 years between 1972 - 1987 he was the party's spokesman on education. In 1977 he was also elected president of the PN's general and administrative councils. When his party was elected to government in 1987 he was appointed Education Minister. As an MP, Dr Mifsud Bonnici took an active interest in updating Malta's legislation.

He is also a prolific writer.

¤ Guido de Marco. Born in Valletta on July 22, 1931, he served as President between 1999 and yesterday. A professor of criminal law, Prof. de Marco was first elected in the interests of the Nationalist Party to the House of Representatives in April 1966 and was returned to parliament at every election. When the PN was returned to office in 1987, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs and Justice. He was appointed Foreign Affairs Minister in May 1990 and remained in office until October 1996. One of his first steps as Foreign Minister was to submit Malta's application for membership of the European Communities in Brussels on July 16, 1990.

On September 18, 1990, he was elected President of the United Nations General Assembly (45th Session). Between 1990 - 1996, he also spearheaded other key initiatives in both the bilateral and multilateral fields including the expansion of Malta's representation overseas.

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