A letter regarding the symposium boycotted by the four former Nationalist Speakers

The symposium organized by the Speaker of House was meant to be held today. Due to a boycott organized by four former Speakers, who all belong to the Nationalists side, the current Speaker thought, and he was right, to cancel this symposium. This symposium was meant to mark the 100 anniversary of the setting up of the Maltese Parliament. For this reason, I am publishing in English a letter that I received from a reader of this blog who disagreed with the action of these four men who decided to boycott this event.

Dear Dr Mercieca.

I begin by declaring that I am a diehard Nationalist. However, what these four former Speakers of the House did by boycotting the symposium organized to celebrate the opening of the first Maltese parliament one hundred years ago is an insult to us Nationalists. It goes to show that these four former Speakers do not even know the history of Malta’s Parliament and the Nationalist Party.

Are they not aware that the first President or Speaker of this Parliament came from the Nationalist camp precisely that of the Party of Monsignor Ignazio Panzaveccha? The name of the first Speaker is Edgar Arrigo and served as speaker between 1921 and 1924. His direct descendant, Robert Arrigo, is a member of parliament on the side of the Nationalists and vice-leader of the Nationalist Party.

I believe this to be an action against Robert Arrigo. In which parliament do you have descendants so close to the first speaker after 100 years? Here we are not talking about a monarchic system where blood relationship is a must but a system based on the democratic principle of electivity.    

Regards