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15 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 MARCH 2024 political life forged in turbulence The prime minister called an early election in October 1998 that the PL went on to lose. It was the start of a 15-year stint in Opposition for the PL after only a 22-month stay in government. Letter bombs: Exiling the children In the book, Vella's wife Miriam recounts how the couple feared for their children's lives in the wake of the 1979 murder of Karin Grech by a parcel bomb sent to her father's home. Karin was the daughter of gy- naecologist Edwin Grech, who served as a strike breaker in the midst of the doctors' dispute with the then Labour government. Grech was targeted as a strike breaker by unknown individuals but the parcel sent to his home was opened by Karin. The mur- der remains unsolved to this day. After the Karin Grech murder, the Vella couple sent their three children to live with a relative because George had also been a strike breaker. Vella is a doctor by profession. "I had to get the children out of the house. I had my siblings, and one of them lived in Birżebbuġa. They took the three of them be- cause we were scared because they told us there were other letter bombs. It was an ugly peri- od…" Miriam recounts. Vella's son, George Jnr, also recalls that turbulent period. "Along with Karin Grech's bomb there could have been anoth- er one coming to our house… because papa was also a strike breaker." 'On abortion, Robert knew my position' Vella was appointed president in 2019 and his term comes to an end on 4 April with no substitute yet appointed by parliament. On the qualities of the new president, Vella says it is funda- mental for the person to have po- litical acumen. He says it is important for the president to have expert advice, and be able to listen, but insists the final decision rests with the president. "A president who has no po- litical grounding entwined with any other profession… political grounding is necessary," Vella says, recalling his own turbulent presidency. Vella had to face an attempt by Opposition MPs to remove then Opposition leader Adrian Delia and oversaw the resignation of former prime minister Joseph Muscat amid political fallout af- ter Yorgen Fenech was charged with masterminding the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Vella also had to sign on laws he had moral objections to, most no- tably, the introduction of pre-im- plantation genetic diagnosis and the abortion law amendments. On PGT, Vella ensured the law was signed by the acting presi- dent while he was away on official business in the UK. However, on abortion, Vella says he had made it clear to the Prime Minister he will not sign on the law as orig- inally proposed by the govern- ment. Vella says that when he was appointed president, then prime minister Joseph Muscat had made it clear with him that abor- tion was not going to be an is- sue he would have to deal with as president. However, things changed when Robert Abela took over. "Robert knew what my posi- tion was. I know that the origi- nal motion incorporated most of the wording from the Council of Europe's recommendation but at least it did not continue men- tioning rape and incest [as excep- tions]… I had immediately said that if the term 'health' without qualifications was kept in the law it would be unacceptable to me," Vella says, adding he agrees with final amendments approved by parliament that allowed for an abortion to take place only if a woman's life is in danger. George Vella, il-President Li Ghandu Hafna Xi Jghid is published by Kite Group. Edited by Andrew Azzopardi, the book also includes contributions by Rector Alfred J. Vella, Pro-Rectors Prof. Joseph Cacciottolo and Prof. Carmen Sammut, former EU Commissioners Perit Karmenu Vella, Dr Joe Borg and Prof. Tonio Borg, former Prime Minister Dr Alfred Sant, academics Prof. Simone Borg, Prof. Mario Thomas Vassallo, Prof. Paulann Grech, Dr Vincent Marmarà, Ambassador Helga Mizzi, collaborator Claire Micallef Pulè, former broadcaster Lou Bondi and Sylvana Debono and VO Commissioner Jes Saliba. The book costs €25. President George Vella pays tribute to murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Bidnija George Vella with his young family at their house in Żejtun. The children were sent off to live with relatives after the murder by a parcel bomb of Karin Grech during the doctors' strike of 1979 because George, who was a strike breaker, feared he could suffer the same fate.