Dom Mintoff

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Dominic Mintoff (born August 6 1916 in Cospicua) was Prime Minister of Malta under British colonial rule, between 1955 and 1958, and then after independence, serving between 1971 and 1984. He is an architect and civil engineer.

Mintoff was once hailed as the 'Saviour' of Malta but recently he has been referred to as the 'Traitor'. He is also nicknamed 'Highlander'.

Mintoff founded the Malta Labour Party (MLP) in 1949 after a cabinet split with veteran Labour Party leader Dr Paul Boffa. He served as Leader of the Opposition between 1950 and 1955 when the MLP won the elections with Mintoff as Prime Minister. The main electoral pledge of this Government was Integration with Britain. This, however, failed and Mintoff resigned calling for Independence.

Mintoff served again as Leader of the Opposition between 1962 and 1971. In 1971 his Party won the elections and Mintoff, as Prime Minister, oversaw nationalisation, expansion of the welfare state, constitutional changes (Malta became a republic in 1974) and the closure of the British military base on the islands in 1979. More controversially, Mintoff strengthened ties with the Gadaffi regime in neighbouring Libya, and with communist countries such as China and North Korea.

Mintoff's relations with the Church were marked by confrontation, and his last years in office were marked by disagreements over the Church's role in education, particularly schools. He stepped down as Prime Minister in 1984, but remained a backbencher MP.

Mintoff was again in the news in 1998 when he voted against his Party, an act which brought the premature downfall of the Labour government. Mintoff did not contest the 1998 and 2003 elections. Although he has campaigned against Malta's membership of the European Union thanks to his actions taken 1998 by betraying the then Labour government eventually led to Malta's accession in the European Union. Today he is leading a new movement known as Maltese Arise Movement, which in all, has attracted half a dozen of affilated and supporting members. His hot tempered and dictatorial character has secluded him to isolation from even his close allies, the latest being Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici.


Preceded by:
Giorgio Borg Olivier
Prime Minister of Malta
1955–1958
Succeeded by:
Office abolished
Preceded by:
Giorgio Borg Olivier
Prime Minister of Malta
1971–1984
Succeeded by:
Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici
Preceded by:
Founder
Leader of the Malta LabourParty
1949–1984
Succeeded by:
Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici
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