Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542822
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 JANUARY 2026 NEWS CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 "I had presented a name to him twice and then he told this person's family that they were not being mentioned. Other than that, we didn't have any other major episodes," Abela had said. The reference was to former European Commissioner Hele- na Dalli, whose name had been making the rounds amid spec- ulation of who would replace outgoing President George Vella. When contacted about this incident, Grech took umbrage at the prime minister's infer- ence that he had been insin- cere. "Robert Abela's problem is that he believes his own lies— the same lies he invents to save face," Grech told Mal- taToday. "The only name he [Abela] mentioned to me during the dis- cussions to appoint the President of Malta was Myriam Spiteri Debono." Grech insisted that Abe- la "could not and did not" mention any other name because, the then Opposition leader had made two condi- tions at the start of the first meeting. "One of the conditions was that the person we were to choose could not be anyone from Joseph Muscat's Cabinet, since the public inquiry found them re- s p o n - sible for creating a climate of impunity which led to Daphne Caruana Galizia's assassina- tion," Grech said. The other condition was that the person need not necessar- ily be someone coming from the Labour side. "Robert Abela accepted both conditions and it was therefore on this basis that we began discussions," Grech insisted, adding that the prime minister never brought up He- lena Dalli's name during the talks. Eventually, both agreed on former Speaker of the House Myriam Spiteri Debono. On 27 March 2024, parliament voted unanimously to elect Spiteri Debono as Malta's 11th pres- ident. She was the first pres- ident to be elected on the ba- sis of new constitutional rules introduced in 2020, that re- quire approval by a two-thirds majority in parliament. This necessitates cross-party agree- ment.Helena Dalli had publicly decried the PN's stance to op- pose anyone involved in Mus- cat's Cabinet because of Daph- ne Caruana Galizia's murder. However, last year, Dalli was unilaterally chosen by the prime minister to serve as act- ing president whenever Spiteri Debono is indisposed. The decision sparked con- troversy since the person pre- viously chosen to serve the role—former PN minister Francis Zammit Dimech—had been agreed upon during the 2024 talks between Grech and Abela. Zammit Dimech passed away last year. The role of acting president is not permanent and the person fulfilling it carries no official ti- tle when not serving in the post. Grech: 'Robert Abela believes his own lies' Robert Abela during the hour-long exchange with the MaltaToday newsroom during which he was asked about his relations with the current and former PN leaders, among other things Joseph Portelli eyes five-storey block instead of old pasta factory in Balzan DEVELOPER Joseph Portelli is proposing a five-storey res- idential and commercial block in place of the Macaroni Pre- mier factory on Triq in-Naxxar in Balzan. The application foresees the complete demolition of the ex- isting property, excavation of the site, and the construction of two basement levels to ac- commodate 30 parking spaces. At ground-floor level, the plans include a showroom, a shop and a cafeteria, while the four overlying levels would host 29 residential units, including two penthouses with pools on the recessed top floor. Portelli has stated that he does not own the site but has been authorised to carry out the proposed development through an agreement with the owner. The site is located with- in the development zone. The existing structure, occupied by a two-storey pasta factory, pre- dates the 1968 survey sheets. A permit for the complete demolition of the factory and the construction of a four-sto- rey block with a ground-floor showroom and offices was ini- tially issued in 2009. The per- mit was renewed in 2013 and 2018 and remains valid until December 2026. Originally issued to Macaroni Premier & Maltova Products Ltd, the permit was later transferred to Portelli. Before the permit was re- newed, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage (SCH) expressed heritage concerns, noting that the factory's design complemented the road align- ment leading to the Balzan, Lija and Birkirkara roundabout. It also highlighted that the main entrance reflected a mod- ernist design. While not oppos- ing redevelopment, the SCH concluded that the building may have architectural features worth preserving and integrat- ing into the new development. However, the Planning Author- ity renewed the permit, noting that, as a renewal of an already approved permit, the plans could not be further amended. The existing structure, occupied by a two-storey pasta factory, predates the 1968 survey sheets "Robert Abela's problem is that he believes his own lies—the same lies he invents to save face," Grech told MaltaToday. "The only name he [Abela] mentioned to me during the discussions to appoint the President of Malta was Myriam Spiteri Debono." JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Bernard Grech was the Opposition leader in 2024 when parliament had to elect a new president