President Emeritus George Abela has turned down an offer by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to serve as a consultant to the Office of the Prime Minister, the Malta Independent has learnt.

Dr Abela, a former Labour Party deputy leader, ended five years as President of Malta on 4 April this year and was replaced by Marie Louise Coleiro Preca as head of state.

The President Emeritus had also contested the PL’s leadership battle in 2008, but lost out to Dr Muscat.

Dr Abela’s relationship with the Prime Minister was strained considerably during the final weeks of his Presidency, as he pointedly refused to sign off on the government’s prized Civil Union’s bill.

Dr Abela’s objection to the Bill on “moral grounds” delayed its signing by several weeks until Ms Coleiro Preca took over the Presidency.

At the beginning of this legislature, Dr Abela came in for some flak for reading a highly partisan ‘speech from the throne’ handed to him by the government.

Contacted about the appointment, Dr Abela declined to comment.