Mintoff’s 100th birthday commemorated

Yesterday’s 100th birthday of former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff was celebrated in his hometown of Cospicua and a new monument was unveiled in Sta Lucija near his former home in Tarxien.

Commemorations began yesterday morning in Mqabba with a Mass for the late Mr Mintoff and his wife Moira, followed by a march by the Għaqda Duminku Mintoff Band, while Alleanza Bidla leader Ivan Grech Mintoff, Mr Mintoff’s nephew, addressed the crowd. Another Mass was celebrated in Cospicua in the evening, followed by a night of entertainment.

Yesterday morning Prime Minister Joseph Muscat laid a wreath at Mr Mintoff’s statue in Cospicua.

Later in the evening, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, accompanied by Dom Mintoff’s daughters, Anne and Yana Mintoff, unveiled a memorial monument to Mr Mintoff in the Garden of Serenity in Santa Lucija.

Among the guests were Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, former Presidents and Prime Ministers, sitting and former Members of Par- liament, Ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps, members of the Mintoff family and close friends and associates.

President Coleiro Preca made an impassioned appeal for a truly inclusive society, just as Dom Mintoff wished and worked so hard for. “It is only in this way that we can be stronger and more resilient to overcome the challenges that crop up every day,” she affirmed.

She paid tribute to one of the greatest leaders and statesman our country had, a visionary who left people spellbound with his dis- plays of energy, and the love and passion he had for his country. “Mintoff was courageous, never compromising on the principles that were his life’s guidelines.”

President Coleiro Preca listed some of his notable achievements, among which were better working conditions and the dignity due to Maltese workers. She also listed several notable firsts but ultimately his instrumental contribution to strengthen the family and change living standards for Maltese and Gozitan workers “from night to day”.

“Mintoff was obsessed with teaching and open-mindedness. Education and training were the key to success. He also believed that people should look after their health and taking the necessary time off. He was capable of narrating and explaining almost every subject under the sun, sharing the vast store of knowledge and acumen with which he was endowed,” she said.

Among the many initiatives President Coleiro Preca mentioned were to safeguard women’s rights and his vision, which remains relevant today, of the country’s mission in favour of peace and prosperity between peoples and nations. She also paid pay tribute to his wife and children, who suffered with him because of his earnestness to transform this country.

“If we are guided by his values for peace and prosperity, solidarity and respect, which he wished to instil through this transformation of our society, we will continue building and strengthening prosperity for all, especially the most vulnerable in our society,” the President said.