INDIRIZZ MILL-EĊĊELLENZA TIEGĦU

DOTTOR EDWARD FENECH ADAMI

PRESIDENT TA’ MALTA

IL-PALAZZ, VALLETTA

IL-ĦADD, 4 TA’ APRIL 2004

Mhux l-ewwel darba li kelli okkażjoni fil-pubbliku nlissen il-kliem “Kburi li jien Malti”.  Illum din id-dikjarazzjoni li rripetejt tant drabi għadni kif tajtha forma solenni hawn quddiemkom meta ħlift quddiemkom u quddiem Alla “li naqdi fedelment il-kariga ta’ President ta’ Malta u li, skond l-aħjar ħila tiegħi nikkonserva, inħares u niddefendi l-Kostituzzjoni ta’ Malta”.

Ħlift li hekk nagħmel għaliex nemmen li, kif inkantaw fl-Innu Malti, Alla jagħti dehen lil min ikollu awtorità f’pajjiżna.

Għal erba’ darbiet ġejt imsejjaħ minn erba’ Presidenti ta’ Malta biex naħlef li naqdi dmiri bħala Prim Ministru ta’ pajjiżi, mingħajr biża’ jew favur.  Inħoss li nista’ nistqarr li tul iż-żmien li żammejt dak l-inkarigu mxejt b’mod li fhimt kien l-aħjar fiċ-ċirkustanzi, u ċ-ċirkustanzi kienu dawk ta’ bidliet kbar f’Malta u fid-dinja.

Illum fir-raba’ jum tar-raba’ xahar tar-raba’ sena tat-tielet millennju ta’ l-era Kristjana ġejt imsejjaħ b’mod demokratiku mill-Kamra tad-Deputati biex għall-ħames snin li ġejjin, jekk Alla jrid, naqdi d-dmirijiet ta’ President ta’ Malta. Għal din il-ħames sejħa nwieġeb b’umiltà profonda: “Hawn jien, lest li nservi”.

Żminijiet ta’ bidla: Għalaqt sebgħin sena u nista’ nħares lura u nipprova nara kif qrajt is-sinjali taż-żminijiet.  L-ewwel tifkiriet huma tat-traġedji tat-tieni gwerra mondjali.  Tifel ta’ sitt snin, niftakar l-ewwel air-raid ftit qabel is-sebgħa ta’ filgħodu nhar il-11 ta’ Ġunju elf disa’ mija u erbgħin (1940).  Immarkati fil-memorji l-iljieli fix-xelters.  Niftakar il-miġja tal-President Roosevelt u l-Prim Ministru Winston Churchill f’Malta fi triqthom lejn Yalta – memorja li ġiet imġedda meta f’Diċembru ta’ l-elf disa’ mija disgħa u tmenin (1989) ilqajna lil President Gorbachev u Bush biex qalbu d-deċiżjonijiet ta’ Yalta u fetħu era ġdida ta’ ko-operazzjoni bejn in-Nazzjonijiet.

Niftakar iż-żmien meta bħala wieħed f’familja ta’ ħamest itfal il-ħajja kienet ħafna aktar iebsa mil-lum u missieri kellu jmur jaħlef quddiem ir-Reġistratur ta’ l-Università biex jinħeles mill-ħlas tal-miżati għaliex il-finanzi tal-familja ma kinux jifilħu li ħija l-kbir u jien nistudjaw l-Università. Illum bil-ħidma ta’ gvernijiet differenti rnexxilna nassiguraw li t-tagħlim ikun tassew aċċessibbli għal kulħadd.

Niftakar is-snin ħamsin fl-Università diskussjoni interminabbli dwar il-futur Kostituzzjonali ta’ Malta f’dak iż-żmien meta l-Imperu Ingliż kien qiegħed jisfaxxa biex ħadu l-indipendenza tagħhom madwar ħamsin kolonja.  Fis-snin sittin, żmien ta’ deċiżjoni, ta’ kuraġġ ta’ determinazzjoni għal ġid futur ta’ pajjiżna.  U hemm sibt ruħi fil-qofol tat-tellieqa politika. Tellieqa dwar kif u min iwassal l-akbar ġid – hekk jiena dejjem fhimt it-tellieqa bejn il-partiti politiċi.

Id-demokrazija hija l-aqwa akkwist ta’ kull pajjiż ċivili u modern.  Jiena kburi b’dan pajjiżi li għaraf iħaddem id-demokrazija b’ħila anki f’mumenti diffiċli u llum ħadd ma jiddubita mill-kredenzjali demokratiċi tal-poplu Malti u ta’ l-istat Malti.  Fl-aktar żminijiet diffiċli tajt sehmi biex instabu soluzzjonijiet kif jixraq.

Għexna bidliet kbar dwar kif titħaddem l-ekonomija biex tagħti l-frott mistenni.  Il-pajjiżi kollha tista’ tgħid esperimentaw sistema ta’ ekonomija ftit jew wisq kontrollata mill-istat u tista’ tgħid kollha tgħallmu li din ma tagħtix ir-riżultati mixtieqa.  Dan inħass l-aktar wara l-waqgħa tal-ħajt ta’ Berlin.  Jien kelli x-xorti li nkun l-ewwel Kap ta’ Gvern li qasam fuq riġlejh minn naħa għal oħra ta’ Berlin minn fetħa fil-ħajt.

Illum qed ngħixu l-akbar bidla fis-sistema ekonomika.  Ilkoll nitkellmu fuq il-fenomenu reali tal-globalizzazzjoni. Malta se tiflaħ għal din il-bidla? Ir-risposta hija affermattiva għal min jemmen fil-Maltin.

U nsaqsi llum ukoll, kif saqsejt tant drabi tul il-ħajja tiegħi pubblika: min huma l-Maltin?

Il-Malti jemmen fil-Providenza. Jemmen f’Alla omnipotenti u omnipreżenti li ma jabbanduna lil ħadd għal rajh.  Kelli okkażjoni ftit ġranet ilu nattendi għall-“The Benjamin Tonna Lecture”  mogħti minn ġiżwita Philip Endean SJ bis-suġġett “Karl Rahner: Theologian of Hope and Dialogue”.  Smajtu b’interess u laqatni ħsieb ewlieni tiegħu li huwa dan:

Karl Rahner, meqjus bħala aktarx l-akbar teologu tas-seklu għoxrin, fil-qofol tal-ħsieb teoloġiku tiegħu jsostni li kull bniedem, indipendentament minn kull twemmin, għandu f’ħajtu esperjenza personali ta’ Alla li huwa omnipreżenti.  Fr Endean jorbot dan il-ħsieb ma’ l-esperjenza personali tiegħu meta żar l-Ipoġew ta’ Ħal Saflieni.  Qalilna fil-lecture li l-abitanti ta’ dawn il-gżejjer, millennji qabel it-twelid ta’ Kristu bil-fors kellhom l-esperjenza ta’ Alla kif imfissra minn Rahner meta ħaffru dan it-tempju u hekk ukoll nistgħu nispjegaw il-misteru tat-tempji megalitiċi ta’ pajjiżna.

Il-Malti huwa kburi li parti importanti mill-istorja tiegħu tinsab dokumentata fil-Kotba Mqaddsa fejn, fl-Atti ta’ l-Appostli, San Luqa jitkellem fuq żewġ ħtiġiet: li San Pawl jasal Ruma u li fi triqtu lejn Ruma kien jinħtieġ li l-ġifen tiegħu jaħbat ma’ gżira li jisimha Malta.

L-esperjenza eżistenzjali ta’ Alla u t-twemmin nisrani huma l-għaġna li nħmiet tul il-millennji u sawret il-karattru Malti.

Għalhekk il-Malti jifhem it-tifsira tas-solidarjetà li tibda fil-qalba tal-familja, tinfirex għall-ġirien u tissokta ma’ kull min hu fil-bżonn.  Hija propju din il-karatteristika li wasslet biex kull Gvern Malti ta’ kull kulur politiku dejjem qiegħed quddiem nett il-valur tal-politika ta’ ġustizzja soċjali.

Il-Malti qatt ma jaqta’ qalbu għax jaf li t-tama hija l-virtù li tagħtik is-saħħa li hija tant meħtiġa partikolarment fi żmien ta’ bidla mgħaġġla.

Qed ngħixu fi żmien ta’ bidla mgħaġġla ħafna u jiena fraħt meta s-sena l-oħra fit-8 ta’ Marzu l-poplu Malti b’mod mill-aktar demokratiku għażel li jilqa’ għal din il-bidla billi jissieħeb fl-Unjoni Ewropea li hija mibnija fuq it-tripied ta’ rispett sħiħ lejn id-drittijiet tal-bniedem, ħidma għal paċi bejn in-nazzjonijiet u tkattir tal-ġid li jitqassam b’ġustizzja.  Mill-ewwel ta’ Mejju mal-bandiera nazzjonali tagħna nibdew nuru wkoll dik blu bi tnax-il stilla biex infissru dan l-iżvilupp importanti fl-istorja ta’ pajjiżna.

L-Unjoni Ewropea hija realtà li ftit kienu jaħsbu li tista’ titwettaq.  Kienu nies kbar ta’ kultura profondament Kristjana, bħal Robert Schuman, Alcide de Gasperi u Konrad Adenauer li emmnu li din tista’ ssir u poġġew il-pedamenti tagħha fit-trattat ta’ Ruma.  Nittama li fi ftit ġimgħat oħra Malta wkoll tkun rappreżentata f’Ruma għall-iffirmar ta’ Trattat Kostituzzjonali għall-Unjoni Ewropea.

F’dan il-kuntest storiku jien għażilt li naċċetta li nservi lill-poplu Malti bħala President ta’ Malta.  Nifhem lil min ma qabilx ma’ din l-ħatra tiegħi iżda nassigura lil kulħadd li se nagħmel ħilti kollha biex inkun ta’ bilħaqq den ta’ din il-kariga.

Għandi mudelli tajba biex nimxi fuqhom.  Insellem lil Sir Anthony Mamo, l-ewwel President ta’ Malta, infakkar lil mibkija Anton Buttigieg, Agatha Barbara u Pawlu Xuereb u nirringrazzja lil predeċessuri tiegħi Ċensu Tabone, Ugo Mifsud Bonnici u Guido de Marco.

Nirringrazzja lilek Prim Ministru li għoġbok tipproponi ismi għal din il-ħatra, kif ukoll lid-deputati kollha li nassigurakom mill-impenn tiegħi li naħdem magħkom ilkoll sabiex tisseddaq l-għaqda fost il-Maltin.

Nirringrazzja wkoll lil dawk kollha li tul is-snin ħadmu miegħi, partikolarment dawk li jiffurmaw is-servizz pubbliku, għall-għajnuna li tawni fis-snin twal tiegħi fil-ħajja pubblika.

Nirringrazzja lil marti u l-familja tiegħi għall-appoġġ, aktarx sieket, tagħhom.

Fl-aħħarnett nixtieq nirringrazzja lil ġenituri mejtin tiegħi u lil dawk kollha li tul ħajti għenuni biex insawwar il-karattru tiegħi mibni, nittama, fuq il-valuri li tawni huma.

Many times in the past, in public, I have spoken the words: “I am proud to be Maltese”.  Today those same words, that same declaration, have been imbued with a new sense of purpose and solemnity after having pledged, before you and before God, that I shall “faithfully exectute the office of President of Malta and will, to the best of my abilities, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of Malta”. 

I have taken this oath because I firmly believe the sentiments expressed in our national anthem.  I believe that God bestows upon all those in positions of authority in this country the necessary virtues needed to wield that authority in a just and legitimate manner.

On four previous occasions I have been summoned here by four successive Maltese Presidents to take the oath of office as the country’s Prime Minister, without fear or favour.  With hand on heart I can say that during my tenure as Prime Minister I always did what I believed was in the country’s best interests in the various circumstances that Malta found itself in.  These circumstances have included times of significant and radical changes, for Malta and for the world at large. 

Today, the fourth day of the fourth month of the fourth year of this, the third millennium of the Christian era, I have been called upon by the House of Representatives to serve as President of Malta for the next five years, God willing.  This is the fifth time I have been called upon to render service to Malta and to the Maltese, and to this fifth call I reply with the utmost humility:  “Here I stand.  I am ready to serve”.

Times of change, indeed.  Having turned seventy I am now in a better position to look back and reconsider the way in which I read and responded to the signs of the times.  My first memories in this regard relate to many tragic events that prevailed during the Second World War.  As a six year old boy, I vividly remember the first air raid over Malta that occurred just before 7am on the 11th of June 1940.  Innumerable nights spent in air-raid shelters are similarly etched in my memory.  I also recall U.S. President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stopping over in Malta on their way to the historic Yalta conference.   This particular memory merges with another, more recent one.  One that goes back just a few years to December 1989 when Malta hosted Presidents Bush and Gorbachev for a momentous summit meeting that reversed the decisions taken in Yalta and brought about a new era of understanding and co-operation between nations. 

I also remember a time when, as one of five children, life presented many more hardships than it does today.  I recall my father being obliged to take an oath before the University Registrar so as to be exonerated from paying tuition fees for my brother and me due to the family’s financial situation.  Nowadays, thanks to the efforts of successive Maltese governments, we have ensured that education is truly accessible to one and all.

I have clear recollections of the fifties as a university student: Endless discussions revolving around Malta’s constitutional future.  This at a time when the British Empire as we knew it was, in effect, crumbling and some fifty ex-British colonies had already obtained their independence.  Then came the sixties.  A time for decisions to be taken, a time that required much courage and plenty of determination so as to ensure a brighter future for our country.  It was also at this time that I found myself fully immersed in the political arena, another contender in the competition.  And this is precisely how I’ve always viewed the contest, the competition between the political parties: A contest determining what and who is best capable of providing the greatest common good. 

A civilized and modern country’s greatest acquisition is, undoubtedly, Democracy.  I am proud of the way in which our country has been able to make Democracy function successfully even in the most difficult of circumstances.  Today no-one can call into question Malta’s and the Maltese people’s democratic credentials.  When the country was passing through particularly difficult moments, I did whatever was necessary for the right solutions to be found to remedy the nation’s problems.

We have undergone drastic changes too insofar as the successful administration of the economy is concerned.  It would be safe to say that most countries have, at one time or another, experimented with state-controlled economies.  Nearly all have come to the conclusion that state-control does not provide the desired results.  The fall of the Berlin Wall brought this fact to light in a dramatic manner.  I was fortunate enough to be the first government leader to walk from one side of Berlin to the other through an opening in the wall. 

Today we are undergoing possibly the most radical changes to date in our economic system.  We also constantly refer to the real and present phenomenon of globalisation.  Is Malta capable of keeping abreast with and adapting to these drastic changes?  Whosoever has faith in the Maltese can only but reply in the affirmative.

Today I also ask the same question that I have asked myself many times whilst in public office:  Who are the Maltese? 

The Maltese believe in Divine Providence.  We believe in God Almighty who is omnipresent and who never abandons us, leaving us to our own devices.  A few days ago I was fortunate enough to attend “The Benjamin Tonna Lecture” addressed by Fr. Philip Endean SJ.  The subject chosen was:  “Karl Rahner: Theologian of Hope and Dialogue”.  I followed this lecture with great interest and was particularly struck by one recurring theme:

Karl Rahner, possibly the most influential 20th century theologian, believed that every person, independently of religious faith, has in his or her lifetime a personal experience of the omnipresent God.  Fr. Endean equated this concept with what he experienced whilst visiting the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum.  Thousands of years before the birth of Christ the inhabitants of these islands must surely have experienced God, in a way as defined by Rahner, when they were excavating the underground temples.  The ‘experience of God’ may also go a long way in explaining the mystery of the Maltese megalithic temples.

We, the Maltese, are proud that a significant episode in our nation’s history is clearly documented in the Scriptures.  In the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Luke writes about two specific ‘necessities’:  It was necessary for Saint Paul to travel to Rome and equally ‘necessary’ for the ship that he was travelling on to be wrecked on an island called Malta.

The existential experience of the Almighty and the Christian faith are the cornerstones upon which the Maltese character and identity have been built over the millennia. 

This is why the Maltese understand only too well the real meaning of solidarity.  Solidarity that begins within one’s family, one’s neighbours.  Solidarity that goes beyond and that is selflessly extended to whoever is in need.  And it is precisely because of this national characteristic that every Maltese government, irrespective of political affiliations, has given the highest priority to policies that ensure and that strengthen the concept of social justice.

The Maltese never despair because we instinctively know that Hope is a virtue that fortifies us and that gives us the necessary moral strength required in times of rapid change.   

And we are, undoubtedly, living in times of relentless change.  It is for this reason that I rejoiced when, on the 8th of March of last year, the Maltese people democratically determined that the best way forward in facing up to the challenges wrought by constant change was by joining the European Union, an entity that is built on three specific concepts:  The utmost respect and regard for human rights, the active promotion of peace and understanding between nations as well as the creation and the equitable distribution of wealth.  As of the first of May, this next important step in our country’s history will be marked by the presence of the twelve-starred European flag flying adjacent to every Maltese flag.

The European Union is now a reality that, up until a short while ago, seemed to be an unattainable dream to many.  Great men such as Robert Schuman, Alcide de Gasperi and Konrad Adenauer, profoundly influenced by their Christian culture and ideology, firmly believed that European unity was feasible, and thereby laid the foundations for a future European Union by means of the Rome Treaty.  I trust that in a few weeks time Malta too will be present in Rome for the signing of the treaty establishing the European Union’s constitution. 

In this significantly historic context, I have accepted to serve the Maltese people as the nation’s president.  I am well aware that there are those who disagreed with my nomination, nevertheless I guarantee that I shall do all that is in my power to be truly worthy of this office. 

I have many admirable role models to draw inspiration from.  To this end I salute Sir Anthony Mamo, the first president of the Maltese Republic.  I honour the memory of the late Anton Buttigieg, Agatha Barbara and Pawlu Xuereb.  I would also like to thank my predecessors, Censu Tabone, Ugo Mifsud Bonnici and Guido de Marco.

I would also like to thank you, Prime Minister, for nominating me to this office, as well as all the members of Parliament to whom I assure my unstinting commitment to work together with you so as to truly foster unity amongst the Maltese.

I would also like to express my gratitude and appreciation to all those who have worked closely with me throughout the years, especially all those who work in the Public Service.  Their support has been instrumental in the many years that I have rendered service to the people of Malta.

I would like to thank my wife and my family for their quiet, unwavering support.

Finally I would like to thank my late parents and all those who, throughout my life, have contributed in some way to make me the person I am today, and who have built and strengthened my character with the values that they imparted to me.