F’Jum ir-Repubblika, ADPD-The Green Party itenni li se jkompli jagħti sehemu sabiex id-demokrazija f’Malta tissaħħaħ. Kellna nwasslu l-każ tagħna sal-Qorti Kostituzzjonali, ladarba l-qafas elettorali fil-Kostituzzjoni tagħna huwa diskriminatorju. Il-każ kellu jingħalaq lejn nofs Ġunju 2025, imma dan ġie differit diversi drabi, bl-appuntament li jmiss ikun għal nofs Jannar, 2026.

Id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo sejjaħ sabiex titwettaq ir-riforma kostituzzjonali li ilha maħsuba għal żmien twil, b’Konvenzjoni Kostituzzjonali li issa ilha ftit iġġammjata. Il-qafas kostituzzjonali eżistenti jagħti saħħa qawwija lil min hu diġà fil-poter, filwaqt li l-ħatriet f’awtoritajiet u korpi pubbliċi, il-kuntratti pubbliċi u l-iffinanzjar tal-partiti politiċi jsiru mingħajr wisq skrutinju. 

Il-partit diġà issottometta dokument dettaljat (https://adpd.mt/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/AD_Riforma-Kostituzzjonali.pdf) dwar it-tibdil meħtieġ biex ikun ikkunsidrat mill-Konvenzjoni Kostituzzjonali, jekk din xi darba tiċċaqlaq mill-koma li qegħda fiha. B’mod partikolari nsejħu għal dan li ġej.

• Il-prinċipji ambjentali, kif imnaqqxa f’Kapitlu II tal-Konstituzzjoni, li għandhom jiggwidaw il-governanza tal-pajjiż, b’mod partikolari l-obbligu tal-istat li jassigura protezzjoni tal-ambjent, u arja u ilma safja, u l-ħarsien mit-tniġġis għandhom ikunu drittijiet enforzabbli. Illum, dawn huma biss dikjarazzjonijiet, li mhumiex enforzabbli fil-Qrati.
  
• Riforma fil-mod kif isiru ħatriet kostituzzjonali. Il-presidenza, il-korpi elettorali, l-awtoritajiet regolatorji u l-kummissjonijiet kostituzzjonali għandhom jinżammu lilhinn minn kull interess partiġġjan. Il-ħidma tagħhom għandha tagħti prijorità lill-qadi tas-soċjetà kollha kemm hi, u mhux biex joħloq bilanċ artifiċjali bejn il-partiti politici fil-Parlament.
  
• Rappreżentanza parlamentari li tassew tirrifletti r-rieda tal-elettorat. Id-distretti elettorali, il-proporzjonalità bejn voti u siġġijiet, il-kwoti u l-bilanċ tal-ġeneru għandhom ikunu imfassla mill-ġdid sabiex iwasslu għal pluraliżmu politiku ta’ veru u rappreżentazzjoni xierqa. Kull vot għandu l-istess valur.
  
• Regolamentazzjoni serja u trasparenti tal-iffinanzjar tal-partiti politiċi, lobbying, impjieg fis-settur pubbliku, xiri minn fondi pubbliċi, sabiex tkun indirizzata bis-serjetà l-korruzzjoni u l-vantaġġi mogħtija lil tal-qalba u sabiex ħadd ma juża l-pożizzjoni tiegħu sabiex jinfluwenza d-deċiżjonijiet.
  
• L-introduzzjoni ta’ strateġija ta’ integrità kif rakkomandata mill-GRECO, l-kumitat kontra l-korruzzjoni tal-Kunsill ta’ l-Ewropa, liema strategija għandha tassigura li reputazzjoni tajba tkun kundizzjoni essenzjali għal ħatra fi kwalunkwe kariga pubblika.

Aħna nemmnu li r-riforma kostituzzjonali m’għandhiex tkun biss bidla kożmetika. Din hi meħtieġa sabiex terġa tinbena l-fiduċja fl-istituzzjonijiet u sabiex inkunu nistghu nħarsu d-demokrazija tagħna minn abbuż ta’ poter. Repubblika moderna teħtieġ li l-liġijiet jiġu enforzati, li d-drittijiet ikunu mħarsa u li l-vuċi ta’ kull ċittadin tinstema’.

Ic-Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party, Sandra Gauci fakkret li fl-aħħar Elezzjoni Ġenerali, kważi 5000 ċittadin esprimew fiduċja f’ADPD-The Green Party u viżjoni politika ta’ ħarsien tal-ambjent, ġustizzja soċjali, kwalita’ ta’ ħajja xierqa u s-saltna tad-dritt. Kull vot għal ADPD kien vot għal ġejjieni fejn il-ġid komuni jisboq l-interessi tal-ftit privileġġati. Dan l-appoġġ jistħoqqlu rappreżentanza fil-Parlament.

Madankollu, is-sistema elettorali tagħna ċaħħditna mir-rappreżentanza minkejja li ksibna aktar voti minn kwota distrettwali. Ħadmet ukoll kontrina u kontra partiti żgħar bħal tagħna meta l-partiti eletti fil-Parlament ingħataw aktar siġġijiet, f’isem il-bilanċ tal-ġeneru. Dan kollu jixhed biċ-ċar li s-sistema elettorali hi mfassla biex tiffavorixxi lil-partiti li diġà qegħdin fil-Parlament. Id-dritt li tesprimi fehmtek bil-vot mhux biżżejjed. Hemm bżonn li kull vot iġorr l-istess saħħa. Huwa għalhekk li ADPD-The Green Party ikompli jisħaq dwar il-ħtieġa ta’ riforma elettorali, sabiex naslu għal sistema tassew ġusta li biha kull vot ikollu l-istess valur. Kellna immorru l-Qorti dwar dan ghax ma hawnx il-volontà politika biex dan ikun indirizzat.

Id-demokrazija teħtieġ aktar minn elezzjonijiet ħielsa u ġusti. Teħtieġ ukoll governanza tajba u trasparenti li twassal għal kontabilità bis-serjetà. Kull deċiżjoni li tittieħed dwar fondi pubbliċi, ħatriet u kuntratti fis-settur pubbliku għandha ssir mingħajr ħabi u b’mod trasparenti; iċ-ċittadini għandhom jingħataw kull mezz biex iżommu lill-mexxejja responsabbli, fejn ikun hemm bżonn. 

Għall-okkażjoni ta’ Jum ir-Repubblika, ADPD-The Green Party jappella liċ-ċittadini kollha ta’ rieda tajba sabiex jissieħbu magħna fil-ġlieda għal riforma vera, għal trasparenza u kontabbilità; sabiex inkomplu insemmgħu leħinna u nitolbu sistema elettorali ġusta fejn il-voti jwasslu għal rapreżentanza ġusta; sabiex flimkien nissieltu għal kostituzzjoni li tħares id-drittijiet tagħna u li tħaddan miżuri li jħarsu l-ġustizzja. Hekk biss Malta tista’ ssir ir-Repubblika li lkoll jistħoqqilna — demokratika, ġusta, trasparenti u inklussiva, qalet Gauci fit-tmien id-diskors tagħha. 

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ADPD-The Green Party renews call for constitutional reform on Republic Day

On Republic Day, ADPD-The Green Party reaffirms its steadfast commitment to strengthening democracy in Malta. To ensure that every vote counts, we had to take our case to the Constitutional Court in view of the discriminatory electoral provisions in our Constitution.  Previously scheduled for mid-June 2025, it has now been deferred to mid-January 2026.

ADPD-The Green Party Deputy Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo called for the full implementation of constitutional reform that has been on the cards for many years, with a Constitutional Convention which has been stalled for quite some time. The existing constitutional framework grants extensive power to incumbents — with weak or insignificant checks and balances, and little oversight over appointments to public bodies and authorities, public contracts, and the financing of political parties.

The party has already submitted a detailed document (https://adpd.mt/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/AD_Riforma-Kostituzzjonali.pdf) on the changes required, in order that this be considered by the Constitutional Convention, if this convention ever exits its current state of coma. In particular we advocate in favour of the following measures:

• The principles enshrined in Chapter II of the Constitution guiding the governance of the country should be transformed into enforceable rights — especially the duty of the state to ensure environmental protection, and the availability of clean air and water, and protection from pollution. At present, these principles remain largely declarative and unenforceable in court;
  
• Reforming how key constitutional appointments are made: the presidency, electoral bodies, regulatory authorities and other constitutional commissions must be insulated from partisan capture. Their mandate should prioritise the public interest, not political patronage;
  
• Parliamentary representation that truly reflects the will of the electorate: electoral districts, vote-to-seat proportionality, thresholds and gender balance must be redesigned to allow pluralism and fair representation.  Every vote has the same value.
  
• Strict, transparent regulation of political party financing, lobbying, public-sector employment, public procurement to prevent influence-peddling, corruption and cronyism;
  
• Introducing an integrity strategy as recommended by GRECO, the Council of Europe Committee against corruption, which strategy would ensure that having a good reputation is an essential prerequisite for public office.

We believe that constitutional reform is not a cosmetic exercise — it is essential to restore faith in our institutions and safeguard our democracy from abuse of power. A modern Republic demands that laws are enforced, rights are protected, and the voice of every citizen is respected.

ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci recalled that in the last General Election, close to 5,000  citizens placed their trust in ADPD-The Green Party, trust in a political vision that values environmental protection, social justice, a decent standard of living, and the rule of law. Every vote cast for ADPD was a vote for a future where decisions are taken in the interest of the many — not just a privileged few. That trust deserves full representation in Parliament.

Yet under the current electoral system, even when our vote tally surpassed district quotas, we were denied representation. At times, the allocation of extra parliamentary seats, ostensibly in the name of gender balance, further penalised parties such as ours. This demonstrates that the system remains skewed in favour of the long-established parties. It is not enough for citizens to cast their votes: those votes must carry equal weight. That is why ADPD continues to advocate for electoral reform, toward a truly proportional system that respects both votes and representation.

But democracy cannot rest on fair elections alone. It requires open, accountable governance: decisions about public funds, appointments, public-sector contracts, all must be transparent; citizens must have the tools to hold their leaders to account.

On this Republic Day, ADPD-The Green Party calls on all citizens and all people of goodwill to join this effort: demand real reform, transparency, and accountability. This means support for an electoral system where votes are represented, the fight for a constitution that protects our rights and enshrines checks and balances, and insistence on good governance that serves the common good. Only then will Malta become the Republic we deserve, democratic, just, transparent, and inclusive, concluded Gauci.