The Opposition expects the government to suspend all appointments in the judiciary until a radical reform in the way such appointments are made is carried out, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said this morning.
In an interview on Radio 101 this morning, Dr Busuttil referred to the Opposition’s bill on appointments in the judiciary, which he said was tabled following the government’s major abuse of power in its latest nominations, ignoring the Constitution in both cases.
In the case of one of the nominees - Ingrid Zammit Young, she should have not been nominated because she was on the Employment Commission, (Dr Zammit Young has since asked the government not to consider her for the post), and in the case of the Speaker’s daughter - Caroline Farrugia Frendo, she had not yet served seven years as a lawyer when according to law one had to have practiced as a lawyer for seven years to be appointed magistrate.
These two people, Dr Busuttil said, were appointed because of who they were related to.
On the Opposition’s bill, Dr Busuttil said that the Opposition did in three days what Justice Minister Owen Bonnici did not do in three years.
“We have an interest in the Bill being debated and approved as soon as possible... The debate has become urgent because of the government’s abuse of power,” Dr Busuttil said.
He said that if the government intended to take the Bill with a pinch of salt, as the Justice Minister had already declared, the Opposition would use the time allocated to it in Parliament to move and debate the Bill. If Dr Bonnici and the government did not want it, they could vote against it.
In the meantime, the Opposition expected the government to suspend all appointments in the judiciary until this radical reform was implemented.
“This is the least we expect from the government.”
Dr Busuttil again referred to the Gaffarena scandal and said that the government had not yet reacted to the Opposition’s three clear and simple questions, which he said he was now making for the fourth week in a row.
• Did the Prime Minister know about the Gaffarena scandal before the go ahead was given?
• Were the police investigating the case, which had more than a smell of corruption?
• Did Mr Gaffarena give anything to anyone?
Dr Busuttil noted that the police had declared in the past week that when they went to the Lands Department after the report was issued, they did not go to investigate but to collect the files so that they would not be lost.
As Opposition leader, Dr Busuttil insisted, he was requesting the Commissioner to investigate all involved in the scandal including Castille. “The people are expecting this and the Commissioner has the responsibility to be there for everyone,” he said.
The Opposition leader also referred to Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi’s sole nomination for deputy leader of the Labour Party.
“It is obvious that Dr Muscat wanted Dr Mizzi and did not allow anyone else to contest... This is a non-election election which indicates that Dr Muscat has completely hijacked the Labour Party…. The Labour Party has sold its soul… It is no longer the workers’ party, the party of the poor and the vulnerable… It has lost the values which inspired it in the past.”
Dr Busuttil said the Nationalist Party was the party of the nation, the party which represented everyone - Nationalists and Labourites.
“Genuine Labourites know that what I am saying is the truth,” he said.