Anglu Farrugia has just been reelected as Speaker of the House of Representatives for a third term. He was endorsed only by the government side of parliament, facing no backing by the Opposition.
Farrugia was first elected back in 2013, succeeding Michael Frendo, and was then re-elected in 2017. Electing a speaker only requires a simple majority vote, which means that the government did not need the opposition’s backing to push the nominee.
PN MP David Agius was also confirmed as Deputy Speaker with a unanimous vote. In his first address to parliament, Farrugia promised he will fulfil his constitutional role as is expected.
The Opposition had expressed its disagreement with the nomination, with Bernard Grech urging the Prime Minister on Friday to reach a compromise over the nomination. He said that he hoped the Speaker would serve his role impartially.
In response, Prime Minister Robert Abela said it was surreal that Grech used his first speech in parliament to accuse the country’s highest institution of being impartial.
#MaltaDaily