Nothing wrong with my co-option, new MP Oliver Scicluna says

Updated 4.30pm with inaugural speech comments

Oliver Scicluna, who on Monday was sworn in as a Member of Parliament, believes "there is nothing wrong" with his co-option into the House of Representatives.

Speaking to Times of Malta soon after he resigned from his role of Commissioner for the Rights of Persons with Disability, he said that similarly to women, people with a disability too struggled with representation in parliament. 

Scicluna replaces Gavin Gulia, who resigned from parliament minutes after being sworn in as MP. Last Friday, the Labour Party confirmed that Scicluna will be co-opted into Parliament and that it was Prime Minister Robert Abela who put his name before the party’s parliamentary group.

Reacting to Gulia's resignation last Wednesday, the PN had said that the prime minister was interested only in his own and the Labour Party's interests. It said Abela had ridiculed parliament.

On Monday Scicluna said he saw nothing wrong with being co-opted, adding that co-option did not go against the law.

“I respect everyone’s opinions, however, we have seen a number of individuals co-opted into parliament in the past. I see nothing wrong with my appointment.”

He added...