I refer to the reporting of the swearing-in ceremony of Adrian Delia as leader of the Opposition (October 7) wherein it was stated that Simon Busuttil was “conspicuous by his absence” at the ceremony.
I have looked up the records of all the ceremonies relating to the swearing in of leaders of the Opposition and it seems that no predecessor ever attended the swearing-in ceremony of his successor. In April 1977, George Borg Olivier did not attend the ceremony whereby Eddie Fenech Adami was appointed leader of the Opposition; nor did Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici attend the swearing-in ceremony of Alfred Sant in March 1992. Lawrence Gonzi was not present at the swearing-in ceremony of Simon Busuttil in May 2013.
The purpose of this letter is none other than that of proving that Dr Busuttil’s absence was in line with historical precedent.