Agnes Debono from Kercem, Gozo, is doing the Presidency an enormous disservice by not only pooh-poohing the services of previous incumbents of the Presidency of the Republic but also by commenting about the present incumbent by using innuendoes and language that lean heavily towards the partisan, thus giving a very unfair view of previous Presidencies, and in the process showing she has no clue about what she is writing about.

“At last, Malta has a President with a vision.”

As far as I know, no President can have a vision of his own. His vision is that of the Government of the day. His vision is spelled out in the ‘Speech from the Throne’ as it is known, which is written and given to him by the Government and in which the incumbent, whoever he or she is, outlines the programme of the Government of the day.

“Another person would have given up ...”

The fact that Dr Abela reached the Office of the Presidency of Malta is thanks to the Government of the day, namely the Prime Minister who decided to offer him the post and which Dr Abela accepted. Had it not been for the PM, Dr Abela would not have reached that Office and therefore it is not a question of Dr Abela giving or not giving up on anything.

With regard to the New Year’s Concert, indeed, it was a good move (as with many other decisions he has taken and which are part of his remit) on the part of the President to open it up to one and all, rather than to the select few. However, again, Ms Debono is wrong. Nothing is free of charge. There was a price to pay for that concert and the State forked out that sum from my and your taxes. And anyway, does Ms Debono really know what ‘spin-doctors’ means?

It is not the first time that the Palace was opened for visitors. It is not true to say that the Palace doors were opened to the public for the first time during Dr George Abela’s Presidency.

Likewise, it is untrue to state that Abela was the first President to have businessmen accompanying him in foreign visits abroad. Previous presidents were thus accompanied.

I have great respect for Dr George Abela but I cannot understand how he can ‘expose the greed and corruption of the few’ with the powers that he presently has. I cannot understand how Debono came to this conclusion.

And, whereas Ms Debono is suggesting that all the Maltese will be behind the President and will not let him down (even though I cannot fathom with what divine right she presumes to speak on behalf of the Maltese!), she is actually citing the opposite and with her innuendoes is throwing the Presidency with its present incumbent, George Abela, back into the political arena which he has relinquished. This is something which the country, heavily polarised once again as it is, simply cannot afford!

Franco Farrugia

Pieta’