Amendments to the Constitution

If my memory serves me well, the Constitution has been amended three times since independence, and each time the people were ignored. No referendum was called after the vote was taken in Parliament. Certain amendments were agreed by the two major parties as if the people did not exist.

The Constitution is a sacred document of the people and not a simple piece of legislation promised in an electoral programme; and for this reason any amendments should be approved by the people. The people are supreme. And they do not necessarily have the same interests as the parties do.

If people were consulted and involved in all the stages up to approval in a referendum, then one could safely say that the democratic process is strengthened and adhered to.

Today, the need to update our Constitution is felt by many and certain important matters should certainly be enshrined in this document. The political parties have to agree, for example, on a solution to the sometimes perverse results of general elections. The Office of the Ombudsman should be covered by the Constitution and given more clout.

The national public holiday should be in the Constitution. It is ridiculous to celebrate so many national feasts because the political parties cannot come to agreement on just one national day. Perhaps September 8, Il-Vitorja, would be the most acceptable and least controversial.