Karl Gouder sworn into parliament

St Julian’s mayor Karl Gouder returned to parliament this evening, filling the seat vacated by cardiac surgeon Albert Fenech.

“It’s an honour and privilege to be back in the House of Representatives,” Gouder told Speaker Anglu Farrugia pledging honesty towards parliament and loyalty towards the electorate.

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil has appointed the 36-year-old MP as the PN's spokesperson for culture.

Gouder, who had not been elected in the 2013 general elections, had already served as Nationalist MP between 2010 and 2013. Gouder was the last candidate to be eliminated in the casual election that saw Fenech winning the parliamentary seat on the 10th district.

Since Fenech had been elected through a casual election, Nationalist Party’s executive yesterday moved to co-opt Gouder.

Fenech resigned from parliament citing work commitments in his new role as head of a cardiology hospital within St Luke’s.

“In order to maintain my manual skills until the new hospital would open, I would have to travel abroad on a monthly basis for a period of not less than four days in order to continue operating,” Fenech wrote in his resignation letter to PN leader Simon Busuttil. “That would at best interfere with parliamentary attendances and therefore proceedings.”