Il-bidliet proposti fid-dikjarazzjoni tal-assi tal-Membri tal-Kabinett hija mossa makkjaveljana tal-Gvern. B dan it-tibdil propost qed immorru dejjem aktar lura dwar dak li għandu x’jaqsam ma’ trasparenza u kontabilità. Dan qaluh kelliema ta’ ADPD-The Green Party meta indirizzaw konferenza tal-aħbarijiet quddiem il-Parlament.

Dr Melissa Bagley, Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party qalet li l-Prim Ministru Abela irid jinnormalizza n-nuqqas ta’ kontabilità. Issa ilhom ma jiġu ippubblikati d-dikjarazzjonijiet tal-assi tal-membri tal-Kabinett. Bl-imġiba tiegħu, Robert Abela qed ikompli jisħaq man-nies li hemm liġi għall-allat u liġi oħra, differenti, għall-annimali. Żgur li kieku ċittadin normali joħlom li ma jsegwix il-liġi u jaghmel dak li qed jiġi propost għall-Ministri, jispiċċa b’konsegwenzi legali kbar.

Imma Abela jiġi jaqa’ u jqum u jrid jibqa’ jgħaddi romblu minn fuq kulħadd.  Li tbiddel il-liġijiet biex iddgħajjef il-kontabilità ta’ min suppost imexxi huwa att irresponsabbli u ċertament li ma jikkontribwixxi xejn għal stat ta’ governanza tajba. Il-Membri Parlamentari kollha, iżda b’mod partikolari l-Ministri għandhom ikunu l-aktar persuni taħt il-lenti, u mhux japprofittaw mill-pożizzjoni tagħhom biex jaħarbu minn kull xorta ta’ skrutinju.

Dan inevitabilment li jnaqqas il-fiduċja fil-Gvern kollu u jkompli jikkonferma kemm it-tmexxija tal-lum qiegħda hemm biex tisserva bil-pajjiż u mhux biex iservih. Kull ma jmur, il-ħabi u t-tidwir mal-liġijiet qed isiru the order of the day għan-nies fil-parlament, temmet tgħid Bagley.

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party, Sandra Gauci qalet li biex neħilsu minn dan il-ħabi darba għal dejjem, hemm bżonn li bla iktar telf ta’ żmien tkun introdotta liġi b’saħħitha dwar il-ġid akkumulat mhux spjegat (accumulated unexplained wealth). Fil-passat kien hemm attentati biex din tidħol imma spiċċat fuq l-ixkaffa u issa qegħdin naraw il-konsegwenzi.

Għal ADPD-The Green Party, din tkun miżura ewlenija li nipproponu fil-Parlament għax b’hekk nagħtu l-għodda biex tissaħħaħ il-kontabilità tal-membri eletti tagħna li suppost m’għandu jkollhom l-ebda diffikultà biex ikunu soġġetti għal skrutinju ta’ ħidmiethom u tal-assi tagħhom.

Kull ċentezmu li għandhom jkunu jridu jagħtu rendikont tiegħu bħalma wara kollox jagħmel kull ċittadin. Il-fatt li il-membri parlamentari eletti jinsew li huma għandhom ikunu ta’ mudell għall-imġieba għaċ-ċittadini Maltin juri nuqqas kbir ta’ responsabilità. Kontinwament qed jippromwovu l-ħabi. X’qed jipprova jaħbi Abela b’din il-proposta? Bilfors li ġġiegħelek taħseb ħażin għaliex din hi proposta li se tagħti lok għal ħafna ħabi.

Aħna bħala ADPD-The Green Party ma naqblux ma’ din il-proposta u nwegħedu li jekk inkunu fil-parlament naħdmu biex l-iskrutinju fuq il-membri parlamentari u l-Ministri jiżdied, mhux jonqos. Kulħadd għandu jiġi trattat b’mod uguali quddiem il-liġi. Dawn il-forom ta’ abbuż aħna ser nibqgħu niġġildulhom, tenniet Gauci.

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Changes to the Ministerial declaration of assets diminishes accountability

The proposed changes regarding the declaration of assets of Members of Cabinet is a Machiavellian move by the government.  These proposed changes are a regressive move as far as transparency and accountability are concerned.  This was highlighted by ADPD-The Green Party when they addressed a press conference in front of Parliament.

Dr Melissa Bagley, ADPD-The Green Party Deputy Chairperson said that Prime Minister Abela is keen to normalize this lack of accountability.  It has been some time since the Ministerial declaration of assets have been published.  Actions speak louder than words, and the behaviour of Robert Abela shows that all animals are equal, and some are more equal than others.  The average citizen knows that if they do not abide by the law and do what is being proposed for Ministers, they would undoubtedly face serious legal consequences.   

However, Abela cares little about this and is intent on steamrolling over everyone else.  Changing the laws to weaken any accountability for those who are entrusted with leading the country is a very irresponsible act and it certainly does not contribute to good governance.   All Parliamentary Members should be held to scrutiny, in particular ministers, and they should not profit from their position by avoiding such scrutiny.  This inevitably diminished trust in the government and it also confirms that the current leadership is there not to serve the country but to serve their own interests.  Bending the rules and hiding what should be declared has become the order of the day for those in Parliament, concluded Bagley.

Greens’ Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that to strengthen transparency and accountability we need to introduce more stringent laws about accumulated unexplained wealth without any further delay.  In the past there were attempts to do this, but these have now been shelved.  And now we are experiencing the consequences. 

With ADPD-The Green Party in parliament, this measure would be a top priority as this would give us the tools to ensure accountability amongst our elected members who, after all, should find no difficulty in being subject to scrutiny of their activities and assets.  Every elected member should be able to account for every single cent just as every other citizen does.  The fact that elected members for Parliament seem to forget that they should be model citizens for the Maltese shows a serious lack of responsibility.  Instead, they are promoting a lack of accountability.  What is Abela hiding by putting forward this proposal?  One cannot but think that this proposal will give rise for a greater lack of accountability and transparency.

As a party, ADPD-The Green Party does not agree with this proposal and we promise that if we are in parliament, we will promise to work on greater scrutiny of members of parliament and ministers.  Everyone should be treated equally in the eyes of the law.  We will certainly fight against these forms of abuse, maintained Gauci.