Former Tourism Minister Michael Refalo passed away this morning, aged 78.
He died at Prince of Wales Home for the Elderly in Sliema.
Born in Sliema, Dr Refalo was politically involved in the campaign for independence. He elected with the Nationalist Party for the first time in 1971 and was elected in subsequent elections until 1998, serving as a member of Parliament for 33 years.
In 1987, he was appointed parliamentary secretary for tourism, a post to which he was reappointed in 1992.
In 1995, he was appointed minister for justice and culture and in 1998 for tourism and culture. Between 1972 and 1980, he was editor of Il-Mument.
In 2005, Dr Refalo was appointed Malta’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, a post he held until October 2008.
During his term, he invited ambassadors and High Commissioners in London, representing their countries, to come for a short holiday in Malta, which for many of them was the first time they visited the island.
He was then appointed chairman of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s executive committee.
He was made companion of the National Order of Merit in 2007.
Dr Refalo has published ‘My Century’, an adaptation into English of Herbert Ganado’s Rajt Malta Tinbidel.
He was married to Blanche Smith and they have a son and three daughters.
Condolences have been expressed by the government, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil and the Labour and Nationalist parties.