ADPD’s insistence that every vote should count means that the trust shown in it by voters in the last General Election should be reflected in parliamentary representation. There is also the urgent need for the introduction of sensible party financing legislation to strengthen our country’s democratic infrastructure. ADPD-The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo was addressing the statutory general meeting being held after the General Election where the party’s executive committee was also confirmed as listed below.

ADPD-The Green Party Deputy Chairperson Sandra Gauci, who also addressed the meeting, insisted that the party will remain the voice of those who the traditional parties avoid or ignore: those that may considered as political orphans. Most ADPD voters are well aware that its policies is substantially different from that proposed by the larger parties.

“Their vote for ADPD is essentially one of trust in a political vision that looks to safeguard future generations by ensuring that the actions we take today allow down to be able to take their own,” Gauci said.

ADPD will remain committed towards the environment coupled with social justice and the right to a decent living for all. The rule of law should also reign supreme – in spite of all the empty promises not much has been done in this regard, concluded Gauci.

Carmel Cacopardo emphasised that every vote should count – hence why ADPD has gone to the Constitutional Court to seek remedy so that the injustices committed against it through the electoral system be rectified immediately. This was especially the case in the last election where to compound matters an additional 12 parliamentary seats intended to bring about gender balance resulted in further discrimination against ADPD’s female candidates.

In fact, two ADPD candidates – Sandra Gauci and Melissa Bagley – obtained more votes than a PL candidate who has been granted a seat thanks to this mechanism. However, ADPD candidates were excluded because they had not contested with either of the traditional parties who were in cahoots to ensure that this mechanism only applied for them.

“Our electoral system needs a thorough reform to address these two issues: that of having true proportional representation for all and offer a gender balance remedy,” insisted Cacopardo. In its proposals for electoral system reform ADPD had indicated how this can be done without the need to increase the size of our parliament so that it does not become the largest per capita in the European Union – as has happened after this last election.

The lack of effective control over the party’s financing also trusts a dark shadow over our country’s political system. The fact that legislation that had been put in place is regulated by the Electoral Commission – which in the main is composed by PLPN representatives – makes one doubt as to whether it is being enforced as it should be. Moreover, the political parties’ commercial entities’ exclusion from such legislation gives rise to abuse where funds that are meant for such companies end up in the parties’ coffers through false invoicing and the lack of submission of audited accounts over many years.

The million of Euros owed by the PLPN is a threat to democracy because it compromises these parties making them subject to the control of commercial interests.

The publication over the past months of the large amounts of arrears that the PN and the PL owe in water and electricity bills as well as VAT is also worrisome. While individuals are usually treated with a strong hand it seems that these parties can continue their operations as if nothing happened. “We need sensible party financing legislation to assist our country’s democratic process,” insisted Cacopardo.
Towards the end of his speech Carmel Cacopardo announced that this will be his last term in office as party Chairperson. It will be a year of transition towards a new leadership.

The general meeting also approved its executive committee as follows:
Carmel Cacopardo – Chairperson; Sandra Gauci – Deputy Chairperson; Mario Mallia – Deputy Chairperson; Ralph Cassar – Secretary General; Melissa Bagley – Deputy Secretary General; Mark Zerafa – Deputy Secretary General; Mina Tolu – International Secretary; Brian Decelis – Public Relations Officer; Luke Caruana – Treasurer; and Duncan Bonnici, Donal Kelly, Marcus Lauri, Matthew Mizzi – Members.

***

ADPD – The Green Party jibqa’ jinsisti li kull vot jgħodd

L-ADPD – The Green Party se jibqa’ jinsisti li kull vot jgħodd u għalhekk se jkompli jisħaq li għandu jkollu rappreżentenza xierqa fil-parlament li tirrifletti il-fiduċja li wrew fih dawk li vvutawlu fl-aħħar Elezzjoni Ġenerali. Barra minn hekk, hemm bżonn leġiżlazzjoni sura dwar il-finanzjament tal-partiti, pedament essenzjali għall-infrastruttura demokratika tal-pajjiż. Dan qalu iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, Carmel Cacopardo fil-laqgħa ġenerali statutorja wara l-Elezzjoni Ġenerali fejn ġie ukoll ikkonfermat il-kumitat eżekkutiv tal-partit kif indikat hawn taħt.

Il-laqgħa ġiet indirizzata ukoll minn Sandra Gauci, Deputat Chairperson li saħqet li ADPD għandu jibqa’ l-vuċi ta’ dawk li l-partiti tradizzjonali jevitaw u jinjoraw: dawk li huma politikament orfni. Il-votanti tal-ADPD huma fil-parti l-kbira tagħhom konxji li l-politika imressqa minnu hija waħda sostanzjalment differenti minn dik li hija imressqa minn dawk il-partiti l-kbar. 

“Il-vot tagħhom lejn l-ADPD hu primarjament vot ta’ fiduċja fil-viżjoni politika tagħna li tħares lejn il-ġenerazzjonijiet futuri biex tfittex li tassigura li dak li jitwettaq illum jippermettilhom jkunu jistgħu jieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet tagħhom għada,” qalet Gauci.

Il-ħidma ta’ ADPD ser tibqa’ iffukata fuq l-importanza tal-ħarsien ambjentali imżewġa ma’ impenn dejjiemi favur ġustizzja soċjali u id-dritt għal għajxien ġust għal kulħadd. F’pajjiżna hemm bżonn li tirrenja is-saltna tad-dritt li minkejja il-ħafna wegħdiet fiergħa ftit li xejn sar f’dan il-qasam, temmet tgħid Gauci.
Carmel Cacopardo, emfasizza li kull vot għandu jgħodd – għalhekk kien li l-ADPD fetaħ kawża kostituzzjonali biex l-inġustizzji imwettqa mis-sistema elettorali kontra l-partit jiġu indirizzati minnufih. Dan speċjalment meta f’din l-aħħar elezzjoni l-inġustizzji komplew żdiedu bl-introduzzjoni ta’ tnax-il siġġu parlamentari intenzjonati għall-bilanċ tal-ġeneru li komplew iddiskriminaw ma’ kandidati nisa tal-ADPD.

Filfatt, żewġ kandidati tal-ADPD – Sandra Gauci u Melissa Bagley – kisbu voti iktar minn kandidata tal-PL li spiċċat fil-parlament bis-saħħa ta’ dan il-mekkaniżmu. Imma il-kandidati tal-ADPD baqgħu barra għaliex ma kkontestawx f’isem wieħed mill-partiti tradizzjonali li kienu kkonfoffaw minn qabel li dan il-mekkaniżmu japplika biss għalihom it-tnejn.

“Hemm bżonn riforma mill-qiegħ tas-sistema elettorali li tindirizza iż-żewġ problemi ewlenin tagħha: dik li jkun hemm proporzjonalita’ vera għal kulħadd u li toffri rimedju għall-bilanċ tal-ġeneru,” sostna Cacopardo. Kif konna ressaqna fil-proposti tagħna għal tibdil fis-sistema elettorali dan jista’ jsir mingħajr ma jkun hemm bżonn li jiżdiedu s-siġġijiet parlamentari kif ġara issa fejn għandna l-ikbar parlament per capita fl-Unjoni Ewropea.

Dell ieħor fuq is-sistema politika ta’ pajjiżna huwa n-nuqqas ta’ kontrolli effettevi fuq il-finanzjament tagħhom. Minkejja li kienet inħolqot leġiżlazzjoni dwar dan, il-fatt li hija regolata mill-Kummissjoni Elettorali magħmula fil-parti l-kbira tagħha minn rappreżentanti tal-PLPN iqajjem ħafna mistoqsijiet dwar kemm qegħda tiġi infurzata kif imiss. Barra minn hekk, il-kumpaniji tal-partit politiċi mhumiex ikkunsidrati u għalhekk hemm lok kbir ta’ abbuż fejn fondi li suppost huma tal-kumpaniji jgħaddu għand il-partiti b’invoices foloz u b’nuqqas ta’ audited accounts għal bosta snin.

Il-miljuni ta’ euros djun tal-PLPN huma ta’ theddida għad-demokrazija għax jorbtu lill-PLPN mal-karru tal-flus li jpoġġihom kontinwament f’pożizzjoni kompromettenti.

L-aħbarijiet tal-aħħar xhur dwar kontijiet ta’ miljuni f’arretrati tad-dawl u l-ilma kif ukoll tal-VAT mhux imħallsa mill-PN u l-PL u l-kumpaniji tagħhom li jmorru lura ħafna snin huwa ta’ tħassib kbir. U dan għaliex filwaqt li individwu jiġi ittrattat b’id tal-ħadid dawn jidher li jistgħu jibqgħu għaddejjin qisu xejn mhu xejn. “Hemm bżonn leġiżlazzjoni sura dwar il-finanzjament tal-partiti biex tgħin fil-proċess demokratiku ta’ pajjiżna,” sostna Cacopardo.

Fi tmiem id-diskors tiegħu Carmel Cacopardo ħabbar li din ser tkun l-aħħar sena tieghu fit-mexxija tal-partit. Ser tkun sena ta’ tranżizzjoni lejn tmexxija gdida.

Il-laqgħa ġenerali approvat ukoll il-membri tal-eżekuttiv kif elenkat hawn taħt:
Carmel Cacopardo – Chairperson; Sandra Gauci – Deputat Chairperson; Mario Mallia – Deputat Chairperson; Ralph Cassar – Segretarju Ġenerali; Melissa Bagley – Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali; Mark Zerafa – Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali; Mina Tolu – Segretarju Internazzjonali; Brian Decelis – Uffiċjal għar-Relazzjonijiet Pubbliċi; Luke Caruana – Teżorier; u Duncan Bonnici, Donal Kelly, Marcus Lauri, Matthew Mizzi – Membri.