Updated: PM suggests committee to discuss ways to strengthen democracy

(Adds reaction by Joseph Muscat)

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has proposed the setting up of a Parliamentary Select Committee to seek common ground between the government and the opposition on legislative amendments to strengthen democracy.

Dr Gonzi said the committee, made up of three MPs each from the government and the opposition, will discuss the points raised in the recent exchange of correspondence between MLP leader Joseph Muscat and himself.

Speaking in Parliament when he moved a Freedom of Information Bill, the Prime Minister noted that many of the points made by Dr Muscat actually formed part of the government’s legislative programme as explained at the State Opening of Parliament.

In the Address by the President, the government listed among its priorities an improvement of parliamentary procedures and the allocation of more resources to MPs, improving public administration, the appointment of a Special Investigator to work with the Commission Against Corruption, the enactment of a Freedom of Information Act and a Whistleblower Act, strengthening the role of the Ombudsman to coordinate complaints on the administration of the whole public sector, legislation on party funding, an updating of the Electoral Law and measures to restrict the possibility of ministerial conflicts of interest.

Dr Gonzi said progress on some of those points was already being made. The Freedom of Information Act was now before Parliament and the government’s proposals on the Whistleblower’s Act would be announced in the coming weeks.

In the near future the government would also be contacting the opposition over its proposal on strengthening the Ombudsman and giving the Office a coordinating role for complaints covering the whole public sector.

Dr Gonzi said the government would also be implementing other promises relating to public administration, including issuing a public call for appointments to state bodies. This measure could not be implemented immediately for various administrative reasons.

A discussion would also be held shortly on ways to improve the Public Accounts Committee and other structures so that the chairmen of state authorities would be required to appeared before parliamentary committees, thus improving accountability.

Dr Gonzi augured that the proposed Select Committee would, step by step, bring about much needed changes in agreement between the two parties.

He said however that the committee would not be discussing Dr Muscat’s call for a capping of government revenue from excise duties on fuels, since this mechanism did not exist. The committee would also not need to discuss the appointment of the Auditor-General and his deputy since that issue had now been resolved and he had given notice of the relevant motion for the appointments to be made.

It was important, however, that the committee also discussed points he had suggested to the opposition, including parliamentary procedure, pairing and the appointment of the Speaker, Dr Gonzi said.

Labour leader Joseph Muscat in a statement said he had noted the Prime Minister’s remarks and that he had upheld the decisions taken by the opposition. He now awaited a discussion on the terms of reference of the Select Committee

Dr Muscat said that while there was a parliamentary set-up for this debate, the discussion should not be limited to Parliament but also include civil society.