DR. GEORGE BORG OLIVIER: PRIME MINISTER OF MALTA (1950-1955,
1962-1971)
Dr. G. Borg Olivier, was born in Valletta on
the 5th July, 1911. He was educated at the Lyceum, Malta, and
the Royal university of Malta. He graduated Doctor of Laws in
1937.
In 1939 he was elected to the Council of
Government. With the return of responsible Government in 1947
Dr. Borg Olivier was elected to the Legislative Assembly and
was later Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
In 1950 he held the post of Minister of
Works and Reconstruction and the post of Minister of Education
in the Nationalist Minority Government led by Dr Enrico Mizzi.
He succeeded Dr Mizzi as leader of the Nationalist Party,
Prime Minster and Minister of Justice in a Minority Government
on the latter's death in December 1950.
After the general elections held in May
1951, Dr Borg Olivier formed a coalition Government with the
Malta Works Party. Dr Borg Olivier was Head of the new
Government, he retained the Ministry of Works and
Reconstruction.
He was again returned to office in 1953 and
was Head of a Coalition Government with the Malta Worker's
Party until he was defeated in 1955. From 1955 to 1958 Dr Borg
Olivier was leader of Opposition.
He led the Nationalist Party delegations in
June and September 1955 for the Malta Round Table Conference
and in November 1958 he led the Party delegation for talks in
London about the restoration of self-government.
Following the February 1962 election, Dr
Borg Olivier accepted to form a Government after obtaining
important amendments to the Constitution. In addition to being
Prime Minister, he assumed the portfolio of Minister of
Economic Planning and Finance. In June he made a formal
request for independence and in September of the same year he
attended the Commonwealth Prime Minister's Meeting.
On the 13th July, 1963, Dr. Borg Olivier
headed a Government delegation for the Malta Independence
Conference at the end of which it was announced that Malta
would become independent.
On 25th January, 1964, Dr. Borg Olivier was
made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Sylvester, Pope,
by His Holiness Pope Paul VI.
After having had a series of talks with the
British Government and after preparing a Constitution for and
independent Malta, which was endorsed by Parliament and
approved by the people in a referendum held in February 1964,
Dr. Gorg Borg Olivier set 21st September as Malta's
Independence Day.
On Independence Day the degree of Doctor of
Literature (Honoris Causa) was conferred on Dr. Borg Olivier
by the Royal University of Malta.
In November 1964, he was received by His
Holiness Pope Paul VI and made Knight Grand Cross of the Order
of Pius IX.
In March 1965, he became Minister of
commonwealth and Foreign Affairs in addition to his duties as
Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Planning and Finance.
In the General Elections held in March 1966,
the Nationalist Party was again returned to power with Dr Borg
Olivier as Prime Minister and Minister of Commonwealth and
Foreign Affairs.
On the 14th June, 1968, Dr Borg Olivier was
decorated with the Grand Cross of Merit of the Order of Malta
by the Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitallier
Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta.
Dr G. Borg Olivier married Alexandra Mattei
in 1943. They have one daughter: Angela, and two sons:
Alexander and Peter.
