Just over 15 days ago, on 22 March, Parliament approved the Standards in Public Life Act as a result of which, subject to the approval of a two-thirds majority Parliament will be able to appoint the first Commissioner for Standards in Public Life.

Speaking at a press conference in Valletta today, Alternattiva Demokratika Deputy Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said:”It is the purpose of this press conference to emphasise that this is a very good step forward as a result of which Government and Opposition have managed to successfully address a basic issue of ethics in public life. It is proof that where there is a will, results can be achieved.”

“This was the underlying motivation for the proposal made by Alternattiva Demokratika over three years ago that this Commissioner for Standards in Public Life should also have been entrusted with the implementation of the Financing of Political Parties legislation instead of the Electoral Commission as proposed by Government.”

“The process leading to the selection of the Commissioner will undoubtedly lead to the identification of a person of integrity acceptable to all. In contrast, unfortunately, the members of the Electoral Commission are selected almost exclusively on political criteria: four selected by Government, four selected by the Opposition and a Chairman who is selected by Government.”

“In the past weeks, the legislation on the financing of political parties has started being implemented. The Commission has in fact received the first complaints. On Monday 17 April, a sub-committee of the Commission will examine the complaint submitted by Alternattiva Demokratika on the Labour Party’s Parliamentary Group use of the Girgenti Palace for one of its meetings.”

“One of the complaints of a very serious nature which will be examined by the Commission is that concerning the Nationalist Party concerning the possible use of its commercial companies to camouflage political donations which, it is being alleged, it received in contravention of the law. Alternattiva Demokratika believes that this complaint should be investigated as soon as possible but it is aware that the Electoral Commission is not the ideal place for this to be done. AD has been emphasising this point for the past three years.”

“It is indeed unfortunate that in drafting the party political finance legislation, awaited for years, Government ignored the proposal to seek alternatives to the Electoral Commission has the regulatory authority. This will now lead to a prolonged period of contestation, possibly in Court, and consequently will led to delays in the implementation of the law.”

“Alternattiva Demokratika once more appeals to Government, as it has done various times throughout the past three years, to amend the law in order to substitute the Electoral Commission with the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life as the appropriate authority for its implementation.”

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Il-partiti Laburista u Nazzjonalista jinvestigaw lilhom infushom

Nhar it-22 ta’Marzu, ftit iktar minn ħmistax ilu, l-Parlament approva liġi dwar l- Istandards fil-Ħajja Pubblika. Bħala riżultat ewlieni ta’ dan, bi qbil ta’ żewġ terzi tal-Membri Parlamentari nistennew li matul il-ġimgħat li ġejjin jinħatar l-ewwel Kummissarju għall-Istandards fil-Ħajja Pubblika.

“F’din il-konferenza stampa irridu nenfasizzaw li dan hu pass tajjeb riżultat ta’ eżerċizzju serju bejn Gvern u Oppożizzjoni biex tkun indirizzata l-etika fil-ħajja pubblika. Huwa prova ta’kemm meta jridu, Gvern u Oppożizzjoni jistgħu jagħtu riżultati”, sostna Carmel Cacopardo, Deputat Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, waqt konferenza stampa l-Blt Valletta dalgħodu.

“Kien f’dan l-ispirtu li Alternattiva Demokratika, iktar minn tliet snin ilu, ipproponiet li dan il-Kummissarju dwar l-Istandards fil-Ħajja Pubblika kellu jkun responsabbli wkoll li jissorvelja l-finanzjament tal-partiti politiċi, flok il-Kummissjoni Elettorali. Għax filwaqt li fl-għażla ta’ dan il-Kummissarju se jsir sforz biex jinstab persuna ta’integrità aċċettabbli għal kulħadd, sfortunatament il-Kummissjoni Elettorali hi komposta minn persuni li fil-parti l-kbira tagħhom inħatru unikament fuq kriterji politiċi: erbgħa magħżula mill-Gvern, erbgħa mill-Oppożizzjoni u Chairman li jintagħżel mill-Gvern.”

“F’dawn il-ġimgħat bdiet fil-fatt titħaddem il-liġi dwar il-finanzjament tal-partiti politiċi u l-Kummissjoni Elettorali qed teżamina l-ewwel ilmenti dwar ksur tal-provedimenti tal-liġi. Fil-fatt nhar it-Tnejn 17 ta’ April sotto-kumitat tal-Kummissjoni Elettorali se jibda jeżamina l-ilment li ppreżentat Alternattiva Demokratika dwar l-użu mill-grupp parlamentari tal-Partit Laburista tal-Palazz tal-Girgenti għal waħda mil-laqgħat tiegħu.”

“Wieħed mill-ilmenti gravi li se teżamina l-Kummissjoni Elettorali hu dak dwar il-Partit Nazzjonalista. Dwar jekk użax il-kumpaniji kummerċjali tiegħu biex jaħbi donazzjonijiet politiċi li qed jingħad illi irċieva kontra l-liġi. Alternattiva Demokratika taqbel li din l-investigazzjoni għandha issir mill-iktar fis possibli imma hi konxja illi l-Kummissjoni Elettorali mhix l-aħjar post fejn jittieħdu id-deċiżjonijiet dwar dan, kif ilna ngħidu sa mill-bidu nett li saret il-liġi dwar il-finanzjament tal-partiti politiċi.”

“Hi sfortuna li fit-tfassil tal-liġi dwar il-finanzjament tal-partiti politiċi, li ilna nistennew is-snin, il-Gvern webbes rasu u injora l-proposta li tinstab alternattiva għall-Kummissjoni Elettorali bħala l-awtorità regolatorja. Għax issa hu inevitabbli li dan id-difett fundamentali fil-liġi mhux biss ikun ikkontesta imma li bħala riżultat ta’ dan, il-liġi iddum ma titħaddem sewwa.”

“Alternattiva Demokratika għal darba oħra tappella lill-Gvern, kif għamlet diversi drabi matul dawn l-aħħar tliet snin, biex il-liġi dwar il-finanzjament tal-partiti politiċi tkun emendata u li l-Kummissarju dwar l-Istandards fil-Ħajja Pubblika jingħata l-inkarigu biex jimplimentaha.”