Election History Bites | They died in office

Since 1921 there have been 22 members of parliament, who died while in office. The first person to die in office was Vincenzo Busuttil, who was elected on the 5th District with the Malta Labour Party in 1921. Busuttil died in 1922 and was succeeded by Arturo Mifsud, who was elected in a casual election. The last MP to die in office was Robert Arrigo, who was elected on a Nationalist Party ticket in 2022 and died later that year to be succeeded by Albert Buttigieg in a casual election.

The 1981-1987 legislature holds the record of the most MPs who died in office in the same legislature. During this period, three Labour MPs died—Danny Cremona in 1982, Patrick Holland and Freddie Bartolo both in 1986. Cremona was succeeded by John J. Borg, Holland by Joe Baldacchino, and Bartolo by Joe Sultana.

Some notable names of those who died in office, include prime ministers Ugo Mifsud, who died in 1942, Gerald Strickland (1940), Enrico Mizzi (1950), and George Borg Olivier (1980).

Mifsud had been elected in 1939 as one of three Nationalist Party members of the Council of Government. The council had replaced the legislative assembly after the British suspended the Constitution and withdrew self-rule between 1933 and 1947.

Mifsud suffered a heart attack on 9 February 1942, during a heated debate in the council on the British government’s intention to deport Maltese citizens to Uganda on suspicion of anti-British and pro-Italian activities. Mifsud strongly opposed the British government’s action, arguing it was illegal. He died two days later and his seat was taken by Giuseppe Schembri, following a casual election.

Strickland died on 22 August 1940 at a time when he headed the elected majority in the Council of Government. His seat was taken by Ercole Valenzia, following a casual election. Strickland had served as Malta’s prime minister between 1927 and 1932.

Enrico Mizzi, better known as Nerik Mizzi, died on 20 December 1950, just three months after being appointed prime minister. He was leader of the PN, which had formed a coalition with the Malta Workers Party after the 1950 election delivered a hung parliament. To date, Mizzi is the only prime minister to have died in office. His seat in the legislative assembly was taken by Paolo Pace following a casual election.

George Borg Olivier died on 29 October 1980. He had resigned as leader of the PN in 1977 and was succeeded by Eddie Fenech Adami. However, Borg Olivier retained his parliamentary seat until his death with Anne Agius Ferrante succeeding him following a casual election.

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