The Opposition on Tuesday voted against the appointment of Karl Izzo to the post of non-resident ambassador to Montenegro following a heated sitting of the Public Appointments Committee.

Mr Izzo's nomination was approved by the Committee on the strength of the votes of government MPs.

Mr Izzo is coach of Malta's waterpolo team, who, together with his wife Diane, owns the fashion retail group Dizz.

Asked to justify his suitability for the role, Mr Izzo referred to his many trips to Montenegro relating to his work in sports. He identified various avenues for collaboration.

Opposition MP Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici highlighted the candidate's lack of qualifications and experience in the diplomatic arena, arguing that he was not to blame but that whoever had nominated him to the post should have known better.

Pointing out that Montenegro would soon be joining the European Union, he argued that it merited a more seasoned ambassador.

Government MP Robert Abela stated that qualifications were not the only consideration when it came to the appointment of ambassadors. He was echoed by government MP Glenn Bedingfield, who asserted that Malta had had qualified ambassadors who had only lasted a year in the role.

Objecting to Dr Mifsud Bonnici's reasoning, Mr Bedingfield added that the decision to reject Mr Izzo's nomination had been made immediately.

He implied that the views of certain members of the Opposition were being imposed upon their colleagues, and that the Opposition was looking at faces and not at the merits of the role under consideration. Mr Izzo, he said, was already Malta's ambassador in the field of sports.

Taking offence to Mr Bedingfield's comments, Opposition MP Hermann Schiavone stated that MPs on the Committee had always taken their responsibility seriously, having only voted against a nomination twice.

He regretted that Mr Izzo had appeared before the Committee at all, considering his contribution to Maltese interests in the field of sports.