Parties differ on road to Constitution reform

President George Abela has renewed his call for constitutional reform but significant differences still exist between the major political parties on how to go about it.

During his Republic Day speech yesterday President Abela said he will be hosting a forum on constitutional reform next year and urged the parties to seek convergence.

“It seems there is growing consensus, particularly in the two principal political camps, that constitutional reform is a necessity,” he noted, cautioning them not to take parallel roads that never converge.

But while welcoming the President’s speech, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Opposition leader Joseph Muscat held different views on how to achieve reform.

Dr Gonzi told The Times he preferred taking the issue to the parliamentary Select Committee that was set up at the start of this legislature but which stopped functioning last year after the Labour Party withdrew its participation.

Dr Muscat said the best way to achieve reform would be to havea constitutional convention that involved civil society.

Both options were mentioned by President Abela, who did not identify the constitutional issues that should be tackled by the reform.

His first proposal was for the Select Committee to start meet­ing again. However, he also offered a way out of the impasse by listing two other proposals.

Taking a leaf out of the 1974 constitutional changes that ushered in the Republic, President Abela said at the time Governor General Anthony Mamo had offered to host delegations from the major parties to discuss the changes.

President Abela also put forward the course of action adopted in 1921 and 1947 when constitutional assemblies involving politicians and civil society were set up to draft the self-government constitutions of the time for eventual approval by Parliament.

“I am always ready to do my part, if asked, with the sole aim... of strengthening democracy for the good of the people,” President Abela said.

Dr Gonzi welcomed the appeal, adding that the country had reached the stage where it could take “a constructive step forward to update the Constitution”.

He highlighted neutrality as one of the constitutional issues that had to be updated, especially in light of the Libya crisis this year.

There were other aspects of the Constitution, he added, that could be “refreshed”.

Dr Gonzi said he preferred it if the reform was discussed in the Select Committee because it was flexible and could use parlia­mentary resources.

“I hope the President’s appeal is taken on board by everybody so that we can move ahead... the most important thing is to put partisanship aside and get talking,” Dr Gonzi said.

On the other hand, Dr Muscat said change should not happen in a piecemeal fashion and called for a constitutional convention that brought together people with different opinions. But he cautioned on the timing of such an initiative.

“A constitutional convention takes time and it should not be caught up in the middle of the electoral calendar,” he said, noting that the election year, 2013, was relatively close.

Malta yesterday celebrated the 37th anniversary since becoming a republic in 1974, 10 years after winning independence from the UK.

The celebrations started in St George’s Square, Valletta with a ceremonial parade by the Armed Forces of Malta, which ended with a rifle salute that saw scores of children running into the square to collect the spent bullet cases after the soldiers marched out.

Honoured by the President

As is customary on Republic Day, the President yesterday conferred the country’s highest honours on members of the public, recognising their contribution to society. The list of 19 included sportsmen, artists, entrepreneurs, journalists, philanthropists and members of the medical profession.

National Order of Merit – Companion
Prospero Grech – theologian.

National Order of Merit – Officer
Alfred Bonnici – former MP.

National Order of Merit – Honorary member
Timothy Rowland Morley – Orthopaedic surgeon

National Order of Merit – Members
Victor Aquilina, former editor The Times; Carmelo Camilleri, confectioner and entrepreneur; George Camilleri, dental surgeon; Nicholas de Piro D’Amico Inquanez, historian; Ethel Farrugia – actress; Achille Mizzi, author; Michael Schiavone, former editor Il-Mument; Francis Stivala, pioneer in the development of the language schools sector in Malta; Gejtu Vella, former general secretary, UĦM.

Medal for Service to the Republic
Grace Attard, teacher and president, National Council of Women; William Chetcuti, shooter; Thomas Cremona, cancer survivor who took part in the Row for Cancer campaign; Enzo Gusman, entertainer; Paul Haber, artist; Rosa Micallef Judge, musician; Carmelo Vella, footballer with Melita Football Club, Australia and journalist.