Anton Buttigieg

Anton Buttigieg Template:Post-nominals (Template:Langx Template:IPA; 19 February 1912 – 5 May 1983) was a Maltese politician and poet who served as the second president of Malta from 1976 to 1981. Prior to his tenure as president he was a member of the Parliament of Malta and president of the Labour Party.

Early life and education

Anton Buttigieg was born in Qala, Malta, on 19 February 1912. He was educated at Qala Primary School, Gozo Seminarym and St Aloysius College.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Buttigieg wanted to attend college to become a lawyer and his parents allowed him on the condition that he also study to become a priest.Template:Sfn He graduated from the University of Malta with a degree in theology and juirsprudence.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Buttigieg became a notary in 1939, and a lawyer on 24 June 1940. During World War II he was stationed in HamrunTemplate:Sfn and was a police inspector.Template:Sfn

Career

Writing

POLITIKU U POETA - Buttigieg's tombstone at the Addolorata Cemetery in Paola, the largest graveyard in Malta.

Buttigieg started writing poetry in 1929, and his work was published in Pronostku Malti. He was a member of the Akkademja tal-MaltiTemplate:Sfn and a member of Għaqda tal-Malti -—Universita founded by Rużar Briffa and Ġużè Bonnici.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From 1944 to 1948, he was a law reporter for the Times of Malta.Template:Sfn He wrote an autobiography, Toni tal-Baħri, which was three volumes in length.Template:Sfn

Politics

Buttigieg joined the Labour Party in 1955, and was elected to the Parliament of Malta in 1956.Template:Sfn He was the president of the Labour Party from 1959 to 1961.Template:Sfn He served in the parliament until his appointment to the presidency.Template:Sfn

In 1971, Buttigieg was appointed as Minister of Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister under Prime Minister Dom Mintoff.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn From 1976 to 1982, he served as the second President of Malta. During his tenure as president the British left Malta on 31 March 1979.Template:Sfn

Personal life

Buttigieg married Carmen Bezzina, with whom he had three children before her death. He married Connie Scicluna, but she died in a traffic accident three years later in London. In 1975, he married Margery Helen.Template:Sfn Buttigieg died on 5 May 1983.Template:Sfn A state funeral was held for him and he was buried in Addolorata Cemetery, Paola.Template:Sfn

Publications

Lyrical poetry

• Mill-Gallarija ta' Żgħożiti (From the Balcony of my Youth; 1949)Template:Sfn
• Poeżiji Miġbura – L-ewwel Volum: the first two books, From the Balcony of my Youth and Lamps in the Night were published in 1978 in one volume under the title Collected PoemsTemplate:Sfn

Humorous poetry

• Ejjew nidħku ftit (Let us laugh a little; 1963)Template:Sfn

Works cited

Books

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Web

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External links

• www.antonbuttigieg.com - with all the literary works of Anton Buttigieg.