The government has no qualms about introducing a mechanism which would ensure that any refusal to divulge information related to the public administration is fully justified. This was confirmed by government spokesman Carmelo Abela, when asked to react by this newspaper to a proposal floated recently by Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino in a report tabled in Parliament.

Dr Said Pullicino referred to “frequent” complaints that legitimate requests for information were either being turned down or processed at a very slow pace, for reasons which were not justifiable even within the wide parameters of the law.

He called for a protocol to establish a mechanism through which the Administration would inform the President and the Opposition leader in cases where certain matters should not be divulged to the public in the national interest.

“The government has no issue to formalise the current practice in the form of a protocol as mentioned,” the spokesman said.

As for the complaints highlighted by the Ombudsman, the government said it was seeking to improve the situation.

A PN spokesman described such a mechanism as laudable but at the same time remarked that the notion of “national interest” more often than not was vague.

“Most importantly one has to ensure that the notion of ‘national interest’ is not a mere vague subjective concept but properly defined and absent from excessive political bias,” he said.

The PN spokesman noted that the introduction of Freedom of Information legislation in Malta was worthless if it was not rigorously followed and properly enforced.

“It is useless to introduce a right when its implementation is marred with administrative obstacles triggered by political motives which are diametrically opposed to the right to freedom of information itself,” the spokesman said.