Former Armed Forces commander will not take up Brussels post

The commander of Malta's Armed Forces will not be taking up a diplomatic post in Brussels, Brigadier Martin Xuereb has confirmed with MaltaToday.

Xuereb said that he is now a civilian, after taking terminal leave since announcing he would not be continuing as commander of the AFM.

The home affairs ministry had said that Xuereb would be resigning his post to take up a Brussels post he had formerly occupied, as head coordinator of security and defence. But it turns out that Xuereb has been on terminal leave during the past weeks, and that he won't be taking up the diplomatic post.

"There are several reasons why I'm not taking up the post, of which won't elaborate upon," Brigadier Xuereb told MaltaToday.

Deputy commander Jeffrey Curmi is not yet acting commander of the AFM, although his appointment would undoubtedly elicit protest from the Opposition.

Shadow home affairs minister Jason Azzopardi had flagged the manner in which Curmi and other army majors were promoted twice, to reach the rank of colonels within a matter of two weeks. The promotions, slammed by the Nationalist opposition as having been carried out to favour so called 'militant Labourites' in the army ranks, were announced the same day that AFM commander Martin Xuereb tendered his resignation to take up a military-diplomatic post in Brussels.

Azzopardi had claimed it was these promotions, which he described as "an army takeover" by the Labour government, that had prompted Xuereb's resignation.

Mallia denied putting any pressure on Xuereb to resign.

Brigadier Xuereb was enlisted in the Army on 23 July 1986. He was appointed Commander of the Armed Forces with effect from on 18 January 2010 following the retirement of Brigadier Carmel Vassallo. During a career spanning over 26 years Brigadier Xuereb has occupied posts both in Malta and abroad.