Abela ‘hopeful’ of agreement with Grech on presidential nominee
Meetings with PN leader have been ‘constructive’
Robert Abela yesterday said he was “hopeful” that an agreement could be reached with Opposition Leader Bernard Grech on a person to succeed President George Vella by the time his term expires in a fortnight.
“I have not given up hope that, before April 4, we will manage to agree on a person who can occupy the post (president),” Abela said.
In terms of recent constitutional amendments, the government and the opposition must agree on who the president should be. The constitution lays down that the new president needs to be approved by at least two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives.
The present president has declared he is unwilling to remain in office if an agreement on his successor is not reached.
Abela has said he would use his prerogative to temporarily appoint an acting president if no agreement is reached by the end of Vella’s term.
“The constitution allows the appointment of an acting president, which is the prime minister’s prerogative, following consultation with the opposition leader. But I sincerely say that I don’t want to reach that point because I believe we will send a strong message if we manage to reach an agreement,” Abela said.
The prime minister said when questioned during an event in Qormi that he had met Grech several times to discuss who the new president should be.
“Those meetings have been constructive, and I have appreciated the sense of collaboration that the opposition leader has shown,” he said.
“Through the meetings, we have understood each other’s points of view,” Abela said.
Sources said that Abela and Grech began meeting in February to discuss Vella’s successor.
Times of Malta has reported that the opposition would block any politician who sat in Joseph Muscat’s 2017 cabinet, including European Commissioner Helena Dalli, who had been mentioned as a possible successor to Vella, from being nominated as the next president.