The next president of Malta does not necessarily need to have been a politician, Opposition leader Bernard Grech insisted on Sunday.
As he refused to divulge details of talks he has had with Prime Minister Robert Abela over the person to be nominated for the post, Grech insisted that one does not need experience in local politics to be considered for the office.
Replying to questions by PBS journalist Mario Xuereb at a PN event in Mellieħa, Grech stressed that the next president must be chosen by at least two-thirds of the members of parliament and not by the party that won the last general election.
Grech was ostensibly referring to comments by Abela that the "sovereignty of the majority" also had to be taken into account when choosing the next president.
Following an amendment to the Constitution in 2020, the appointment of the president now requires the backing of at least two-thirds of the House of Representatives. This means that the new president would also need the backing of the Opposition.
“We will ensure that it is a unifying person, someone who will continue to raise the stature of the office and who will continue constitutional reforms. It is not prudent to disclose details, including how many times we have met. What I know for sure is that these meetings should have started months ago not just a few weeks before the position becomes vacant,” Grech said.
He said the talks with Abela were “good” especially when considering that when he became Opposition leader three years ago the prime minister had told him that he would only set foot into Castille if he beat him in the election.
Asked directly about his views on Helena Dalli, which the government has reportedly proposed to be the next president, Grech refused to discuss individual names, insisting that the position is not “the monopoly of politicians” and that “people who can contribute can also be found outside of the political scene”.
Malta has so far only had one president who was not a politician, the first one, Sir Anthony Mamp between 1974 and 1976. He was a former chief justice.
Asked about surveys of voting intentions, Grech downplayed the results and insisted that the party was battling state-controlled institutions, the power of incumbency and “corrupt practices” such as government cheques on the eve of elections.
He pointed out how last week the Speaker ruled against TVM because it reported remarks he made in parliament in precisely the opposite of what he had said.
“We certainly need to continue doing better but to get there you cannot have the public broadcaster controlled by the government,” he said.
“How can you say the opposition is not strong when it helped bring about the Jean Paul Sofia inquiry, it returned the three hospitals to the people and forced the government to a u-turn on abortion? The reality is that we are already strong but we need to continue working to show how we are an alternative government,” he added.
Asked about Malta’s neutrality, Grech praised Abela for taking a stand in favour of Ukraine, saying it was “the right thing to do”, just like when former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had helped when Libya's civil war had broken out.