The Opposition yesterday called for a vote on a clause in the Political Party Financing Bill under which the Electoral Commission will become the regulating body and see to it that political parties abide by the law.
The call was made during a meeting of the House Committee for the Consideration of Bills. PN general secretary Chris Said said the Opposition wanted to register its objection to the clause, as the commission’s members were “loyal to the government of the day which appoints them”.
Instead the Opposition was suggesting that an official be chosen by a two-thirds majority of the House.
Dr Said’s statement was contested by Commissioner of Laws Franco Debono, who pointed out that the Electoral Commission was embedded in the Constitution and that it was appointed by the President after consultations with the leaders of the main political parties. It was already, in a sense, a regulatory body. It oversaw the amounts each contestant spent on the electoral campaign.
A golden opportunity for the country to include more of society
Dr Said said this was not the best example. Just because the commission had existed for a long time did not mean it would be impartial.
Alternattiva Demokratika’s vice-chairman Carmel Cacopardo said all institutions were bi-partisan and this was a golden opportunity for the country to move away from this system and include more members of society.
Justice Minister Owen Bonnici said the Commission had overseen elections for years and the easiest way to introduce this law as quickly as possible was to use an existing, reputable institution.
He suggested that what was needed was more transparency, as this piece of legislation would bring about a great culture change. He made it clear this Bill must be passed through all stages before the summer recess.
He also drew the attention to the fact that the Council of Europe’s Greco (the Group of States against Corruption) has lost patience with Malta for not having introduced the necessary measures against corruption.
“I ran out of excuses,” he said, adding the country’s good name was at stake.