Parliament pays tribute to Rokku Abdilla

Both sides of the house this evening paid tribute to Rokku Abdilla, a former Labour MP from Zurrieq with died last month. He was 85.

Labour MP Joe Debono Grech praised Abdilla for being true to his beliefs and for contesting the 1962 general election with the labour party, despite the church saying at the time that this was a mortal sin. He added that Abdilla had always defended the rights of workers.

This was echoed by Mario DeMarco, deputy leader of the Nationalist Party, who praised Abdilla’s dedication to safeguarding the rights of workers, including in years when he had not elected to parliament.

DeMarco praised Abdilla for speaking about democracy at a PN mass meeting following the 1981 elections and praised Abdilla for never being afraid to express his opinion and for always seeking to rise above tribal politics.

On her part, the leader of the Democratic Party Marlene Farrugia, who is also from Zurrieq, praised Abdilla for his loyalty and principles.