The Democratic Party yesterday reiterated calls for the immediate appointment of a commissioner for standards in public life, insisting that it was high time parliamentarians’ actions were placed under scrutiny.

“People are increasingly losing trust in politicians, including members of Parliament, and this is because of the actions of some members, both in Parliament and outside it.

“For the fourth time, the PD is calling for the appointment of such a commissioner,” new PD leader Anthony Buttigieg said, flanked by MPs Marlene Farrugia and Godfrey Farrugia.

Addressing a press conference in front of the Sette Giugno monument in St George’s Square, Valletta, Dr Buttigieg insisted that despite the Standards in Public Life Act having come into force, a commissioner to oversee the actions of public figures, including parliamentarians, had yet to be appointed.

“Throughout the last legislature, when I was still part of the government, there was a lot of boasting that these things would be implemented.

“The law is there, but the legal notice to appoint a commissioner has yet to be issued.

“Such a legal notice has to come from the Prime Minister, and, as things stand, having such a commissioner is even more pertinent than ever,” Dr Godfrey Farrugia said in comments to this newspaper.

Dr Buttigieg also called for information on the work being carried out by the parliamentary Ombudsman, tasked with ensuring the proper functioning of Parliament.