The appointment of a President of the Republic is always a historic moment. It happens once every five years and, each time the term of the incumbent is about to end, there is always anticipation and expectation as to who will be the next one.

This time, the appointment of George Abela as the eighth President of Malta since it became a republic in 1974, has an even bigger historic and political significance since it is the first time that the new President has been nominated from the other side of the political fence of the party in government.

It has been described as a sign of political maturity, and it is therefore hoped that it is only the first step towards more harmony in a country that is, unfortunately, still cut in half.

It was last year that Dr Abela contested the post of Labour Party leader, losing only to Joseph Muscat. He had earlier served as Labour’s deputy leader for party affairs when Alfred Sant was leading the party in the 1990s.

The charismatic lawyer from Qormi will also be the second President of the Republic to have never occupied a seat in Parliament. Sir Anthony Mamo, the first President of the Republic between 1974 and 1976, was the other one, while his successors Anton Buttigieg, Agatha Barbara, Censu Tabone, Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, Guido de Marco and Eddie Fenech Adami had all served as MPs.

And, like Sir Anthony, Dr Abela was approved unanimously by the House of Representatives, something that the six other Presidents in between did not get. This, in a way, goes to prove the theory that the President should either be someone with no political affiliations, as Sir Anthony was, or someone from the “other side” who has the respect of the government in office, as Dr Abela has.

Of course, the fact that five MPs (only one of them, Mario Galea, having a valid reason) were not present for the vote last Wednesday has led many to think that not everyone was in consonance with the Prime Minister’s choice, which had been immediately endorsed by the Opposition Leader. But these formed a small minority, as the remaining MPs recognised the importance of this historic moment, one that will hopefully serve to bring about more harmony in the country.

This form of dissent was expected, as it would have been too good to be true if everyone agreed with the nomination. Since Dr Abela’s name was put forward as the man for the job last January, the general consensus that there was in the country for the appointment was tainted by a small group of people, from either end of the political spectrum, who did not agree for different reasons.

The dissidents from the Nationalist camp thought that the tradition of appointing a President from within the ranks of the party in government should have continued, while those from the Labour camp saw it as being a way to calm down the opposition.

But, overall, the public has accepted the idea with open arms and, knowing Dr Abela’s history, it would have been inopportune to think otherwise.

In his professional life as a lawyer, in his political life as Labour deputy leader, and in his administrative life as president of the Malta Football Association, Dr Abela has always distinguished himself as a man of high ethical ground and diplomatic skill. His comfort in front of the cameras and his ability to communicate will also serve him well in the new position he will be taking up today.

Like his predecessors, we are sure that Dr Abela will rise to the occasion and represent Malta as its Head of State to the best of his abilities, while staying away from political controversy.

The Malta Independent wishes Dr Abela all the best for the next five years and beyond.