Caroline Muscat
MEPs under fire from unelected candidates
'MEPs are bending the rules'
"Politics has become the privilege of those with money" - Maria Camilleri
The declared campaign expenses of MEPs have come under fire from European Parliament candidates of both major parties, as it emerged no elected representative took an oath with their declaration.
The five MEPs elected in the June 6 election declared in the past week that they were just within the €18,635 legal limit, with John Attard Montalto saying he was €35 short of the threshold.
The European election was hotly contested between the candidates, with a number of them splashing out on publicity material and events. The law establishes a limit to ensure a level playing field.
Nationalist Party candidate Edward Demicoli, who admitted exceeding the legal limit by no less than €35,000, described the MEPs' declarations as "pathetic".
Labour Party candidate Sharon Ellul Bonici, who declared the highest expenditure at almost €57,000, said it was "impossible" candidates could have run a successful campaign under the legal limit.
PN candidate Frank Portelli, who declared his expenditure was in breach of the law before a magistrate last month described the situation as "ridiculous".
Alan Deidun, also a PN candidate, who declared expenses of €8,780, said "it is cheeky and brazen, to say the least, that elected candidates declared they respected the set financial thresholds".
He referred to one MEP who he claimed had spent tens of thousands of euros on personalised merchandise for constituents.
PL candidate Maria Camilleri said she was "very disappointed" with the way politics was being done.
"There were those who respected the law and those who didn't. Do you think those who claimed they followed the rules to get elected are going to risk losing their position?" she asked, adding politics had become the privilege of those with money.
Her views echo those of PL candidate Claudette Abela Baldacchino who recently asked: "Can only those with money represent the public?"
The declarations to the Electoral Commission show Edward Scicluna (PL) claimed to have spent €17,900; Louis Grech (PL) €17,688; David Casa (PN) €17,674; Simon Busuttil (PN) €17,570; and Dr Attard Montalto (PL) €18,600.
No receipts were presented, according to a Commission representative.
None of the five elected MEPs took the oath that should have been submitted with the declaration; neither did PN candidate Roberta Metsola Tedesco Triccas, as well as PL candidate Joseph Cuschieri, who will get Malta's sixth seat if the Lisbon Treaty comes into force.
Mr Demicoli said it was "definitely not" possible that candidates could have run a successful campaign under the legal limit.
He told The Sunday Times: "It's absolutely pathetic that the MEPs took this stand; this is not to be expected from elected representatives of the people. We know the law is bad, but instead of fighting it they are bending the rules. The politics being practised today has alienated people - this could have served to reverse that. Now it's a farce."
Dr Deidun said such a lack of transparency and accountability did not bode well for the credentials the same MEPs bragged about.
Ms Ellul Bonici said politicians should practise what they preach: "At the end of the day, if anybody wants to check, it's very easy to confirm everybody's expenditure."
Similarly, Dr Portelli said politicians had to lead by example. He was critical of the stand taken by Dr Metsola Tedesco Triccas, a lawyer, who said she spent €36,104 but only declared €18,408, which is the amount spent from the date she submitted her candidacy to the Electoral Commission.
Dr Metsola Tedesco Triccas had pointed out that the law did not specify when a person became a candidate so she proceeded to limit the definition to the period following the submission of a nomination to the Electoral Commission.
However, Dr Portelli said a candidate representing a political party officially became a candidate as soon as the nomination was accepted by the party. He described Dr Metsola Tedesco Triccas's stand as ridiculous: "If a lawyer says the law is an ass, then this should have been stated earlier."
But her argument was taken up by MEPs. Since their declarations did not specify whether they presented all their expenses or just those after the submission of their candidacy, The Sunday Times asked them to clarify the matter.
Over the past nine weeks, MEPs have ignored questions from this newspaper. However, this time, Dr Busuttil replied, on his and Mr Casa's behalf, levelling accusations against The Sunday Times.
"In your articles, the long-standing inadequacy of the law has been turned into a pretext to attack our integrity and we categorically reject your spurious allegations," he said.
"Your questions raise just two of a number of ambiguities in the law which expose it to conflicting interpretations, rendering its proper application difficult, if not impossible."
Dr Scicluna and Dr Attard Montalto ignored the newspaper's requests and Dr Grech said he was "indisposed".
The unelected EP candidates agreed the law had to be revised because it was outdated, but insisted it was not ambiguous.
On Friday, a second judicial protest was filed by EP candidates Norman Lowell and Emmy Bezzina who said they would institute a court case demanding an investigation if the Attorney General persisted in refusing to do his duty.
"The law is not ambiguous... and those who did follow the law were discriminated against," they said.
The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition recently sent a joint letter to the Speaker asking him to ensure the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional Change revises regulations on electoral expenditure.
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T Abela
Aug 3rd 2009, 08:36
Gonzi & Muscat want to revise the regulations - This will be the fastest change in the law ever and the 6 MEPs will then take the oath. This is how it is going to end.....wait and see. They will take us for another ride.
U il-poplu jibqa ccapcpilhom u jghajat VIVA GONZI! VIVA MUSCAT!
Dr Emmy Bezzina, B.A.,LL.D.
Aug 2nd 2009, 18:11
Official Authorities who are being generously paid out of the public coffers to do their duties and carrying out their legal obligations in accordance with the Laws of Malta and those of the EU, must now see to it that this is done. Obviously the 5 Elected MEPs, the Awaiting, and Ms Roberta did not follow Chapter 354 of the Laws of Malta - NONE took the OATH or even bothered to make a Solemn Declaration. In JAM`s Case, the Form at the Electoral Commission indicates the official Stamp as dated July 15th,2009; BUT the OATH by his AGENT Cassar was taken before Notary Attard on JULY 16!!!??? There are many other discrepancies which NL & EB pointed out in their Judicial Protest No.2 and Media Conference of July 31st. Let not MALTA be embarrassed further in this Case - the EU Parliamentary Elections are clearly null and void. IF the Authorities that be, including the PM & LOP, do not take initiatives to allay the minds of the Citizens,than this means that our Democratic Laws have no value and other Citizens must take the rectifying means into their hands ALWAYS in accordance with the LAW !
j.fiorini
Aug 2nd 2009, 17:05
If the five elected candidates did not exceed the 18,000 euro limit, then there is no need to change the law to a greater legal limit as declared by both plotical leaders recently .....le?!!!
v.pulis
Aug 2nd 2009, 16:49
So now we know the magic formula for getting elected to an MEP. Do not exceed the limit or you shall be punished by devine justice!!
cecil herbert jones
Aug 2nd 2009, 15:56
@Charles Sammut
I am 100% with EM and NL in line with the forecasted court case. I will present myself as a signatory along with them and I encourage all the other candidates to do the same. I understand that in the coming days a news media conference will be called inviting all the candidates to attend. It will be a time to stand up and be counted, and I shall not miss the opportunity to do so
Joseph Calleja
Aug 2nd 2009, 15:51
I repeat " That's why it's called politics ". If these Meps are supposed to declare their expenses under oath, why aren't they doing it? If it's the law, this law should be carried out without exception. These are elected officials, and if it is so convenient for them to twist the law to their liking, why can't any other citizen have the same privilege? This is not a matter of convenience and all candidates should declare their expenses under oath and in public. If any of them has nothing to hide then why not take the oath? Who are they kidding?
marjolene grimaud
Aug 2nd 2009, 15:47
@cecil herbert jones
I wasn't going to vote until you came along.
E. Azzopardi
Aug 2nd 2009, 15:27
Of course they are and they should be. This is unfair.
I am not so naive that I believe those figuures. They call it "Pathetic, ridiculous etc and these are their own colleagues !!! How can the rest of the poeple believe then.
G Falzon
Aug 2nd 2009, 14:53
This clearly shows that "some people" are above the law! Where is the Commissioner of Police?
Charles Sammut
Aug 2nd 2009, 14:23
@Willie Grech
The Electoral Commission has washed its hands of this matter. In a 'contro protest', the chief electoral commissioner said that it is not his duty to verify the declarations. He is only there to receive them. They are now available for viewing by the public, until the 11th August, after that date, only a court order will be able to unearth them.
Those candidates who handicapped their campaign by observing ythe law, should join forces to see that crime does not pay.
But to date, only Norman Lowell and Dr Emmy Bezzina have put their money where their mouth is. The rest are accomplices in this practice, unless they prove otherwise.
P Debono
Aug 2nd 2009, 14:12
I am proud to have voted for the only honest candidate out of the bunch... Normal Lowell.
Keep it up guys!!
D Camilleri
Aug 2nd 2009, 13:36
I have lost all faith in maltese politics, theyre just playing with us.
cecil herbert jones
Aug 2nd 2009, 12:55
Those who say that it is impossible to run a successful election without spending hundreds of thousands of Euros are correct in saying this. Of course I'm not referring to any candidates but to the many people I have met during my listening tours, during my campaign and afterwards as well. I argued that their vote was more precious than to spoil it away on a given free party or gift. They wouldn't listen to me however, they thought I was a lunatic. Several told me "Issa l-mument taghna biex niehdu xi haga ghax wara l-elezzjoni jinsuna". They were right of course. How I had wished I had met an electorate (I did not meet them all) who inspired me with a different mindset. In fact I did, and neither were they prepared to dip their toes in any gravy train nor were they prepared to vote period, pity not even for me.
The present law on fair-play has been crafted with the utmost perspicacity into the realms of level playing field. The wisdom it contains lays the foundation to one of the most important pillars of a Democracy. Yes it is old but it is wise,
Willie Grech
Aug 2nd 2009, 12:03
May I ask a simple question to the Electoral Commission? If the law states that all declarations must be followed by an oath, are the declarations made by the 5 + 1 MEPs false if these were not followed by an oath? Will the Electoral Commission inform the EU about this?
Charles Sammut
Aug 2nd 2009, 11:31
This MEP election was like a lottery with those able to 'buy' most tickets standing the best chance of winning.
What is particularly galling is the attitude of, "I don't agree with the law, so I am entitled to break it."
They are doing this in he most arrogant and in your face style possible. I suspect that these lawbreakers are confident that those responsible for enforcing the law will never even bark, never mind bite.
Many people are now feeling that they are also entitled to emulate this irresponsible behaviour.and no one can blame them.
I have read Norman Lowell's and Dr Emmy Bezzina's last judicial protest and it leaves no room for manoeuvre for the AG and the Commissioner of Police.The prime minister and the leader of the opposition, although also cited in the JP, can be expected to remain mum. It is now an open secret that they are in cahoots over this.
Ludwig Flask
Aug 2nd 2009, 10:59
@ Mr Lowell and Dr Bezzina: keep it up!