Bid-dewmien tad-dħul fis-seħħ tal-Att dwar l-Istandards fil-Ħajja Pubblika il-Parlament qed jagħti messaġġ wieħed ċar: li m’għandux għaġġla biex il-Membri Parlamentari jagħtu kont ta’ egħmilhom kull meta dan ikun meħtieġ. Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika li dalgħodu mexxa delegazzjoni tal-Partit għal żjara ta’ kortesija lill-Ispeaker tal-Kamra tar-Rappreżentanti.

Cacopardo żied jgħid li dan, l-iktar li jinħass hu minħabba li jidher li għad ma hemmx qbil bejn Gvern u Oppożizzjoni dwar il-ħatra tal-Kummissarju għall-Istandards fil-Ħajja Pubblika, liema Kummissarju jeħtieġlu li jinħatar bi qbil ta’ żewġ terzi tal-Kamra.

Jidher li l-partiti rappreżentati fil-Parlament m’għandhomx għaġġla biex din il-liġi tkun implimentata. L-ewwel damet tlett snin għaddejja mill-Parlament (Mejju 2014 sa Marzu 2017). Issa ilha ħmistax il-xahar li rċieviet l-approvazzjoni tal-President tar-Repubblika, iżda għada fuq l-ixkaffa.

Dan kollu jassumi sinifikat ikbar jekk wieħed jarrah fil-kuntest tar-rapport tal-Ombudsman għall-2017 fejn hu ċar li d-dritt għall-informazzjoni dwar l-amministrazzjoni pubblika qiegħed taħt assedju, kompla jgħid Carmel Cacopardo.

Hu ċar li l-kontabilitá u l-aċċess għall-informazzjoni jimxu id f’id fi stat demokratiku. Huma l-pedamenti tad-demokrazija li l-Parlament għandu l-obbligu li jindokra.

Carmel Cacopardo ikkonkluda billi talab lill-Ispeaker biex jiġbed l-attenzjoni tal-Parlament li mhux aċċettabbli li nibqgħu bit-tkaxkir tas-saqajn. Hu neċessarju li l-Parlament jassigura l-ħarsien tad-dritt tal-aċċess għall-informazzjoni kif ukoll li l-kontabilitá ma tibqax slogan.

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Need for greater commitment to accountability

The delay in implementing the Standards in Public Life Act is sending one clear message: that Members of Parliament are not that eager in being accountable for their actions. This was stated by Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson of Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party when this morning he led a Party delegation for a courtesy visit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Cacopardo added that it is well known that so far there has been no agreement between Government and Opposition on the appointment of the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life, which appointment requires approval by a two thirds majority in Parliament.

It is pretty clear that the political parties represented in Parliament are in no hurry to implement this law. After taking far too long to make it through Parliament (May 2014 till March 2017), fifteen months after receiving the Presidential assent it is still in abeyance.

All this assumes greater significance if seen in the context of the 2017 Ombudsman report wherein it is very clear that the right to information on the workings of the public administration is under siege, added Carmel Cacopardo.

It is clear that in a democracy accountability and access to information walk hand in hand. They are the basic foundations of a democracy and should be nurtured by Parliament.

Carmel Cacopardo concluded by requesting the Speaker to draw Parliament’s attention that further procrastination is not acceptable. It is essential that Parliament ensures that access to information and accountability are more than just a slogan.