Ombudsman shuns executive power

Recommendations made by the Ombudsman but ignored by the government should be debated and decided upon by a parliamentary committee to expose the issues at stake, Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino proposed yesterday.

In the current legal set-up, the Ombudsman, who is a parliamentary official, cannot enforce the implementation of recommendations if the government refuses to comply. Speaking yesterday at his Valletta office during a courtesy visit by Speaker Michael Frendo, the Ombudsman said he was against suggestions that his office should have executive powers to implement recommendations.

There had been around six cases in the past five years, he added, when the Ombudsman’s recommendations were ignored by the government.

“In these instances I suggest that the Ombudsman’s report is not only presented to Parliament but also debated at parliamentary committee stage. In this way, the issue will be given more space, and the decisions on the recommendations would be taken at a political level,” Prof. Said Pullicino said.

The suggestion was also made in the introduction of the Ombudsman’s annual report for 2009, tabled in Parliament yesterday.

Prof. Said Pullicino observed that this suggestion was not included in a Bill, currently before the House, which extends the remit of the Office of the Ombudsman by bringing under its wing various commissioners to deal with specific organisations, such as the Malta Environment and Planning Authority audit officer and the University ombudsman.

Dr Frendo described the Ombudsman’s proposal as an “interesting suggestion” and promised to put it forward for consideration in the next meeting of the House Business Committee.

“Parliament should take a deep look into this proposal because it deals directly with how the House deals with the work conducted by the Ombudsman,” Dr Frendo said.

The Speaker said that through his visit he wanted to underscore the importance of Parliament’s officials, such as the Ombudsman and the Auditor General.

The Ombudsman’s annual report gives an overview of last year’s caseload, including high profile investigations such as hospital waiting lists, the treatment of rejected asylum seekers by the marriage registrar and the promotions in the Armed Forces of Malta.