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14 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 MARCH 2024 George Vella's epilogue: A political George Vella speaks to academic Andrew Azzopardi on his political career in a new book that traverses some of the country's key events, including the Karin Grech murder, the Mintoff-Sant debacle and how George Abela jumped ship, and the abortion amendments he opposed as president. KURT SANSONE writes. GEORGE Vella revisits the tur- bulent days leading up to the pre- mature end of the 1996 Labour administration in a new book out soon. The President recalls how then deputy leader George Abela, the father of today's prime minister, had flip-flopped on a decision to go for an early election in the wake of Dom Mintoff's parlia- mentary antics. Back then, Vella and Abela were deputy leaders of the party led by Alfred Sant. In a lengthy interview with ac- ademic Andrew Azzopardi, Vella gives glimpses of his long politi- cal career. The book also includes interviews with Vella's wife, Mir- iam, his three children and con- tributions from people who know or worked with him. The Abela story is not new. Vel- la had lifted the lid on the matter back in April 2008 in the midst of a leadership race that saw George Abela square-off against Joseph Muscat. But in the book, Vella recounts how Abela was on the verge of swaying party delegates to dis- avow the executive in an im- passioned speech at the general conference. Had the general con- ference shot down the executive's motion to give Alfred Sant carte blanche to call an election when he deemed fit, history may have taken a different course. Just 24 hours earlier, Abela was in the executive meeting that unanimously agreed on the mo- tion that was to be presented in the general conference. However, on the day of reckoning he re- canted and insisted he would re- sign if the party went for an early election. Abela's shift in position caught the party administration by surprise. Vella recounts: "The surprise George [Abela] gave us and I say this with respect… at one point on the eve he was with us, and I say this with the greatest sincer- ity because it is recorded in the minutes, agreeing on a motion by the executive authorising the prime minister to call an election when he felt it appropriate – that was it, we were giving him a free hand to decide… on the morrow at the [general conference]… at its peak George [Abela] stands up to speak and says: 'If we are going to go down this road, I will stop here.' Alfred Sant, who was distracted at that point, asked me 'what did he say?'" It was a moment of shock for the party administration. Vella adds: "We immediately realised the seriousness of the situation. I do not know whether this was a spontaneous act, or planned. If a motion like this was defeated it would have been a show of no confidence in the executive. If we had voted then, George [Abela] would have carried the day be- cause he was eloquent and spoke in a very emotional way as he normally did." A decision was taken for the general conference to continue the next day but not before Vella spoke for a second time in a bid to sway delegates and get them to support the motion. The President recalls how he clarified certain doubts and at the end of his speech received a standing ovation. Eventually, when the motion was put to the vote it was approved. Abela went on to resign and remained away from the Labour Party until 2008 when he contest- ed the leadership race following Sant's resignation. The backdrop to the politi- cal turmoil of 1998 was Dom Mintoff's constant threat in par- liament to vote against his own government as he clashed with Sant. The situation came to a head in the summer of 1998 when Mintoff voted against a parlia- mentary motion granting Birgu waterfront on a lease concession to a private company. Sant had insisted the motion was one of confidence in the government. Top: President George Vella's term as president ends on 4 April 2024, bringing to an end a political career that spans five decades; Above: George Vella (right) was deputy leader of the Labour Party along with George Abela (left) when the party won the 1996 general election under the leadership of Alfred Sant (centre).