‘It wasn’t my choice to leave parliament’ – Randolph Debattista

Labour MP and, until a few weeks ago, CEO of the Labour Party Randolph Debattista, admitted that he did not wish to end his short stint as a member of Parliament.

He told the Public Appointments Committee discussing his nomination as Malta’s Permanent Representative to the UN, residing in Geneva, Switzerland, that he was happy doing his work as an MP, and it wasn’t his wish to give up his seat.

Considered a harsh critic of Labour Leader Robert Abela, Debattista told the parliamentary committee: “It was not my decision to become an ambassador. It would help if you direct your questions to who took that decision.”

Pushed by PN MP Adrian Delia to state how the prime minister might have decided to remove an MP just because he may be outspoken, Debattista refused to reply, saying: “Once I was offered to serve in a different role, this time as an ambassador, I decided that this could be another opportunity for me to serve my country”.

The PN MPs voted against Debattista’s nomination, while the rest of the committee and government MPs approved it.

Explaining the Opposition’s vote, Delia said the PN could not participate in the prime minister’s political exercise to use ambassadorial rules to silence his MPs and send them abroad.

Debattista was nominated to become an ambassador in June, a few weeks after Labour’s drubbing at the MEP elections.

Debattista, also the CEO of the Labour Party, came under intense pressure to resign as a scapegoat for the dismal result obtained by Robert Abela’s administration.

However, Debattista refused to go, insisting publicly that he would not leave his post.

Abela’s pressure, even in internal meetings, did not make Debattista budge. However, Abela’s offer to give him a lucrative post in Switzerland as Malta’s ambassador to the UN changed his mind.

With his husband, former Labour MEP Cyrus Engerer, Debattista will live in Geneva at the government’s expense.

Debattista was co-opted to parliament in 2022 despite never contesting an election. At the same time, Abela appointed him CEO of the Labour Party, with the MP’s salary acting as a top-up of his financial package as the party’s CEO.

The two fell out over time, with Debattista openly criticising Abela for his disastrous handling of the Jean Paul Sofia inquiry case.

His removal from Parliament will also mean Abela can now co-opt another MP, possibly a Labour official from his shrinking faction inside the party.