Tribute to father of independent Malta

Dr George Borg Olivier, under whose premiership Malta attained independence, was a man of principle, the father of independent Malta, and a statesman of vision and perseverance.

This was the historical judgment delivered by Professor Joseph M. Pirotta in a keynote address given on Thursday, during an evening organised by the Academy for the Development of a Democratic Environment (AZAD) to pay tribute to the late former prime minister, who died on October 29, 1980, aged 69.

In an additional speech, Rev. Professor Peter Serracino Inglott raised the question: What did Dr Borg Olivier understand by Malta's sovereign independence?

There is no doubt, argued Professor Serracino Inglott, that Dr Borg Olivier considered independence to be the necessary step needed for Malta to take its rightful place among the European countries that were then embarking on the process of European union membership.

Some of the evidence comes from Dr Borg Olivier's speeches, such as the one he gave when he addressed the Council of Europe as prime minister of newly independent Malta:

"With the recent attainment of independence, Malta regained her sovereignty of old; and one of the most ancient nations of Europe returned to take its place among the free countries of this continent.

"It is for this reason that coming to this institution is in many ways a home coming after a period of absence. Here we feel truly at home, joined with other members of the family who subscribe to the same, basic concepts and philosophy and who are prepared to build on the native heritage of this, our Europe."

The two professors were addressing a packed hall at the Auberge d'Aragon, which used to house the office of the prime minister in Dr Borg Olivier's time.

Among the audience were the Acting Prime Minister, Dr Lawrence Gonzi, former President Dr Censu Tabone, the widow of the former prime minister, Mrs Alexandra Borg Olivier, and his son Peter, and several distinguished personalities, including former ministers and MPs.

The celebration included lively readings by Dr Philip Farrugia Randaon from Dr Borg Olivier's key speeches, as well as moving film footage from the tumultuous times that led to Malta's independence in 1964.