Tension as ex-President takes on new functions, and keeps some of her staff
Tension is brewing at the Presidential Palace over an unprecedented arrangement made between Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and former President Marie Louise Coleiro-Preca that allows her to retain certain functions of her former office, The Sunday Times of Malta is informed.
The new State-funded ‘Office of the President Emeritus’ permits Dr Coleiro-Preca to carry on with her charity work, which is completely unremunerated, according to her spokesman.
The former president has also retained the administration of two entities – The President’s Trust and The President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society – which she had set up during her time as President.
The spokesman said the foundations’ statutes have now been changed to reflect the new set-up. However the changes have not yet been registered.
According to the statutes, it is the serving President who must act as the head of these foundations and approve any changes made.
The Sunday Times has been told that the new arrangement did not go down well with the new Presidency.
“The former president is assuming functions which, apart from being unregulated, may also clash with the official Office of the President,” one...