Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1518643
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 APRIL 2024 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Instead, Spiteri Debono insisted that the president must be cau- tious when draft bills become the topic of hot discussion, and in- stead take a few steps back not to influence public debate. A one-seat majority is hard – more so when it's Perit Mintoff Looking back at her time as Speaker, during the turbulent La- bour administration between 1996 and 1998 led by Alfred Sant, Spi- teri Debono admitted that there was a lot of heartbreak, particular- ly from the Labour electorate that felt betrayed. "A government with a one-seat majority will suffer many shocks," she said, noting that the Labour administration at the time was not the only government in Maltese history to hold on to power with just a single seat advantage. "The honorable Lawrence Gonzi in 2008 didn't just have one per- son who went against the Whip's orders. There was one person, and at one time it seemed as if there were three, and sometimes there were even five people who weren't agreeing," she said. "This is a situation that creates doubt and instability – but let alone when that person is Perit Mintoff." Daphne, Karin, Raymond Looking back at her 2021 speech where she referred to Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder and said Malta must redeem itself, Spiteri Debono explained that she felt at the time the country failed to properly weigh what is morally right and wrong. "We dug ourselves into a hole where we no longer recognise that we need values of a certain ethical standard with regards to leader- ship, the way we treat each other, the way we look at certain grave things – things that should have never happened, like the assassi- nation of Daphne Caruana Gali- zia," she said. She recalled how, when Ray- mond Caruana was killed, the acting president at the time went on state media and made a strong statement. "And we never had clo- sure on those deaths. It's impor- tant that we have closure." "In the case of Raymond Caru- ana, it was like an act of bravado. There was no indication, or any intention, to kill Raymond or an- yone else. But the fact is that, even because of the political situation at the time, the murderers wounded the country." She went on to add that the mur- der of Daphne Caruana Galizia was different because the protec- tion of the media came into play. "I feel that her death was intend- ed […] to shut her up. How can that be? We need closure, and we need to make sure something good comes out from it." The presidency ahead When she was first ap- proached to take the presiden- cy, Spiteri Debono felt she had certain qualities that can be used to serve the public. "I listen, I have a certain back- ground, political experience in a particularly turbulent time when through consensus be- tween the two parties I was entrusted with leading parlia- ment," she said. She added that her political experience is not strictly parti- san. "I always tried to be con- scious of people with different political opinions and kept the door open to discuss situations they encounter." As president, Spiteri Debono said she will do her utmost to be correct and shoulder respon- sibility. "But I'll let the people judge." 'We dug ourselves into a hole' Myriam Spiteri Debono