“Il-Kostituzzjoni ta’ Malta għandna nqisuha bħala dokument ħaj li jirrifletti l-valuri u l-aspirazzjoinijiet tal-poplu Malti.” Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika ‘l-bieraħ waqt laqgħa kordjali ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika mal-kumitat koordinattiv dwar ir-riforma kostituzzjonali immexxi mill-President tar-Repubblika Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.

“Il-Kostituzzjoni, fil-forma li għandna illum,” żied jgħid Cacopardo “hi prodott ta’ diskussjoni u kompromessi kkonsolidati fuq medda ta’ kważi sittin sena. Uħud mill-kompromessi li wasslu għall-kostituzzjoni li għandna illum, idarsuna meta nħarsu lejhom mil-lenti tagħna tal-lum. Irridu nifhmu, imma, l-kuntest li fih tfasslu dawk il-kompromessi u li wasslu biex il-pajjiż iħoll il-kobba li kellu quddiemu dakinnhar. Biex intejbu l-kostituzzjoni li għandna illum jeħtieġ li nibnu fuq il-kompromessi tal-bieraħ biex anke a bażi tal-esperjenzi tul is-snin bħala pajjiż naslu għal soluzzjonijiet aħjar milli irnexxielhom jaslu għalihom ta’ qabilna.”

Carmel Cacopardo emfasizza li l-proposti li se tagħmel Alternattiva Demokratika ilha titkellem dwarhom. Huwa emfasizza l-ħtieġa ta’ tibdil fil-liġijiet elettorali biex “il-vot ta’ kull Malti u Maltija jkun jgħodd u li l-proporzjonalità bejn il-voti f’elezzjoni ġenerali u s-siġġijiet parlamentari ma tkunx dritt esklussiv tal-PN u tal-PL imma li dan ikun japplika għal kulħadd, soġġett għal threshold nazzjonali ta’ 2.5%.”

Mina Tolu, attivist LGBTIQ u kandidat ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika għall-Parlament Ewropew, emfasizzat li “mhux xi aħbar ġdida li Alternattiva Demokratika qed tinsisti għal bilanċ bejn il-ġeneri fil-Parliament. Dan għandu jkun bilanċ mhux biss bejn in-nisa u l-irġiel, imma ukoll ta’ persuni li ma jidentifikaw ruħhom mal-ebda wieħed minn dawn il-ġeneri.”

Fil-laqgħa Alternattiva Demokratika emfasizzat li l-istat Malti, illum, b’differenza mill-1964 hu wieħed lajk u dan għandu jkun rifless fir-riforma kostituzzjonali bl-abbrogazzjoni tal-artiklu 2 tal-Kostituzzjoni. Dan għandu jirrifletti l-qabżiet ‘il quddiem li għamel il-poplu Malti bl-approvazzjoni tar-referendum dwar id-divorzju kif ukoll bl-introduzzjoni u r-rikonoxximent ta’ drittijiet li jintegraw il-komunità LGBTIQ bl-istess drittijiet bħall-bqija tal-Maltin u l-Għawdxin. 

“Ir-riforma kostituzzjonali”, żied jgħid Carmel Cacopardo, “għandha tirrifletti dan il-fatt, għax il-pajjiż illum fir-realtà jħaddan pluraliżmu etiku u dan għandu jkun rifless fil-kostituzzjoni reveduta. Għaldaqstant, flok mal-kostituzzjoni tintrabat ma reliġjon waħda, dik Kattolika Appostlika Rumana, għandha tiddikjara rispett lejn kull reliġjon kompatibbli mal-istat demokratiku.”

Alternattiva Demokratika iddiskutiet ukoll  il-ħtieġa li l-President tar-Repubblika jkun elett minn kulleġġ elettorali li jkun iktar wiesa’  mill-Parlament u li f’dan il-proċess għandhom ikunu involuti ukoll il-Kunsilli Lokali. 

Carmel Cacopardo emfasizza l-ħtieġa li l-kostituzzjoni tkun tipproteġi l-ambjent kif ukoll li kull ċittadin Malti jkollu d-dritt li jfittex lill-Gvern jekk dan jonqos milli jieħu passi adegwati biex ikun assigurat dan il-ħarsien. Flimkien mad-dritt għal referendum propozittiv dan għandu jwassal għal tisħiħ tal-proċess demokratiku.

“Fil-ġimgħat li ġejjin”, ikkonkluda Carmel Cacopardo, “Alternattiva Demokratika se tgħaddi lill-kumitat immexxi mill-President tar-Repubblika dokument dettaljat bil-proposti kollha ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika.”

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AD’s preliminary proposals on Constitutional reform

“Malta’s Constitution should be considered as a living document, reflecting the values and aspirations of the Maltese.” This was stated by Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson of  Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party, yesterday, during a cordial meeting with the Constitutional steering committee  chaired by President of the Republic Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.

“The Constitution, in its present form,” stated Cacopardo, “is the result of debates over an almost 60-year time-frame, and the consolidated compromises within seem awkward in our present day reality. We need to understand the context which led to these conclusions and compromises because they led to the country moving forward. In order to improve our Constitution we cannot start afresh but we must appreciate the achievements of our predecessors and plan the next steps on this basis. This will lead us to improve the situation and produce a better constitutional document.”

A preliminary discussion outlining AD’s proposals for constitutional reform was held during the meeting with the committee led by Her Excellency, the President and also made up of representatives of the Nationalist Party and the Labour Party.

Carmel Cacopardo emphasised that AD’s proposals have been in the public domain for quite a long time. Malta’s electoral legislation needs to change in order to ensure that “every vote cast by a Maltese citizen is valued and that proportionality between votes cast and parliamentary seats elected is not a right reserved for the exclusive perusal of the PN and the PL. But that in fact it is applicable to all parties, subject to a 2.5% national threshold.”

Mina Tolu, LGBTIQ activist and European Parliament candidate on behalf of AD emphasised that “it is not news that Alternattiva Demokratika is insisting on the need for a Parliamentary gender balance. It is important that balance is not only sought between men and women, but also one which is inclusive of people who identify themselves with neither of these genders, should they decide to contest elections.”

During the meeting, AD emphasised that unlike in 1964, Malta was now a lay state and that this fact should be reflected in the constitutional reform through an abrogation of article 2 of the Constitution. This would reflect the great strides forward made by the Maltese nation as a result of the divorce referendum as well as through the introduction and recognition of civil rights for the LGBTIQ community. 

“A revised constitution”, added Carmel Cacopardo, “would recognise and reflect these strides and how the country today embraces ethical pluralism. Hence, instead of the Constitution linking with one religious set of beliefs, the Roman Catholic, it should spell out its respect for all religions compatible with the democratic state.”

Alternattiva Demokratika also discussed the need that the President of the Republic should be elected by an electoral college which is much wider than Parliament. Local Councils should be involved in the President’s election.

Carmel Cacopardo emphasised that the Constitution needs to protect the environment as well as ensuring that each Maltese citizen has the right to take the Government to Court if it fails in carrying out its duties.  Together with a proposal to introduce the right to a propositive referendum this would strength the democratic process. 

“In the coming weeks”, concluded Carmel Cacopardo, “Alternattiva Demokratika will present a document detailing all of our proposals to the Constitutional reform steering committee led by the President of the Republic. ”