“The Labour Party as well as Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, are in breach of legislation regulating the financing of political parties.”
This was stated by Carmel Cacopardo, AD Deputy Chairperson when he addressed the press after a meeting between Alternattiva Demokratika and the Chief Electoral Commissioner, Joseph Church, as well as other officials of the Electoral Commission. This is because the Labour Party has made use of public property without having any right to do so.
During the meeting with Electoral Commission, which Commission is entrusted with the implementation and administration of legislation on the Financing of Political Parties, the Commission’s attention was drawn to this fact. AD insisted that the Electoral Commission should act immediately in order to ensure that both the Labour Party as well as Prime Minister Joseph Muscat realise that they are both subject to the rule of law.
In today’s meeting Alternattiva Demokratika concentrated on one concrete and specific case. There are undoubtedly other cases but the Electoral Commission was asked to focus its investigation and action on this specific case, made public by the Prime Minister himself through a Tweet.
The case refers to the use by the Labour Party of Girgenti Palace last Saturday for a meeting of its Parliamentary Group. The letter through which the formal complaint was lodged with the Electoral Commission to initiate steps against Joseph Muscat and the Labour Party for breaching legislation regulating the Financing of Political Parties is attached to this press statement.
Carmel Cacopardo concluded by stating that “Alternattiva Demokratika is requesting the Electoral Commission to take action against Joseph Muscat as he is politically responsible for the national property administered by the Office of the Prime Minister. He allowed the Parliamentary Group of the Labour Party to make use of Girgenti Palace for its meeting on Saturday 18 February 2017. We also requested the Electoral Commission to initiate action against the Labour Party which could not accept this donation (the use of Girgenti Palace) from the Prime Minister as is provided in article 34 of Cap 544 of the Laws of Malta (Financing of Political Parties Act).”
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Ksur tal-Liġi dwar il-Finanzjament tal-Partiti minn Muscat u l-PL
“Il-Partit Laburista kif ukoll il-Gvern permezz ta’ Joseph Muscat, il-Prim Ministru, qed jiksru l-Liġi dwar il-Finanzjament tal-Partiti Politiċi.”
Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo, Deputat Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika meta indirizza lill-istampa fi tmiem laqgħa li Alternattiva Demokratika kellha mal-Kummissjonarju Elettorali Prinċipali Elettorali Joseph Church flimkien ma’ uffiċjali oħra tal-istess Kummissjoni Elettorali.Dan qed isir billi l-Partit Laburista qed jitħalla jagħmel użu minn propjetà pubblika mingħajr ma għandu dritt għal dan.
Fil-laqgħa li Alternattiva Demokratika kellha mal-Kummissjoni Elettorali, li hi inkarigata mill-implimentazzjoni u l-amministrazzjoni tal-Liġi dwar il-Finanzjament tal-Partiti Politiċi, inġibdet l-attenzjoni tal-Kummissjoni għal dan u saret insistenza li l-Kummissjoni Elettorali għandha taġixxi immedjatament biex ikun assigurat li kemm il-Partit Laburista kif ukoll il-Prim Ministru Joseph Muscat jirrealizzaw li huma ukoll soġġetti għal-liġi u għandhom ibaxxu rashom għaliha.
“Alternattiva Demokratika fil-laqgħa tal-lum ikkonċentrat fuq kaz wieħed konkret u speċifiku. Ma jfissirx li ma hemmx iżjed każi imma jidhrilna li l-Kummissjoni Elettorali għandha tiffoka l-investigazzjoni u l-azzjoni tagħha fuq dan il-każ.” Il-każ ġara nhar is-Sibt li għadda ġewwa l-Palazz tal-Girgenti fejn matul il-ġurnata saret laqgħa tal-Grupp Parlamentari tal-Partit Laburista.
L-ittra li permezz tagħha saret it-talba formali biex il-Kummissjoni Elettorali tieħu passi kontra Joseph Muscat Prim Ministru u kontra l-Partit Laburista dwar ksur tal-Liġi li tirregola l-Finanzjament tal-Partiti Politiċi hi hawn annessa.
Carmel Cacopardo ikkonkluda billi qal li “Alternattiva Demokratika qed titlob li l-Kummissjoni Elettorali tieħu passi kontra Joseph Muscat li huwa politikament responsabbli mill-propjetà tal-istat amministrata mill-Uffiċċju tal-Prim Ministru. Hu ippermetta li l-Grupp Parlamentari tal-Partit Laburista jagħmel użu mill-Palazz tal-Girgenti għal-laqgħa tiegħu ta’ nhar is-Sibt 18 ta’ Frar 2017. Tlabna ukoll li l-Kummissjoni Elettorali tieħu passi legali kontra l-Partit Laburista għax ma setax jaċċetta din id-donazzjoni (l-użu tal-Palazz tal-Girgenti) mingħand il-Prim Ministru u dan skont kif jipprovdi l-artiklu 34 tal-Kap 544 tal-Liġijiet ta’ Malta (Att dwar il-Finanzjament ta’ Partiti Politiċi).”
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Test tal-ittra lill-Kummissjoni Elettorali
21 ta’ Frar 2017
Suġġett : Talba għal investigazzjoni
Sur Church,
Qiegħed niktiblek għan-nom ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika speċifikament dwar l-użu ta’ propjeta pubblika mill-partiti politiċi.
Hu magħruf li nhar is-Sibt 18 ta’ Frar 2017 il-Grupp Parlamentari tal-Partit Laburista għamel użu mill-Palazz tal-Girgenti biex fih saret laqgħa tal-istess Grupp Parlamentari. Dan kif jixhed it-tweet tal-Onorevoli Joseph Muscat, Prim Ministru, li kopja tiegħu hu hawn anness.
Hu magħruf li l-Parlament ma approva l-ebda riżoluzzjoni li tippermetti dan l-użu. L-istess Palazz l-anqas ma hu magħruf li tqiegħed għad-dispozizzjoni ta’ partiti politiċi oħra biex jagħmlu użu minnu.
Għaldaqstant fil-fehma ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika dan jista’ jitqies biss bħala donazzjoni mhux permissibbli mill-Gvern lill-Partit Laburista u dan kontra dak li jipprovdi l-Kap 544 tal-Liġijiet ta’ Malta speċifikament fl-artiklu 5 (trattament ugwali) u fil-paragrafu (b) tal-artiklu 34 (projibizzjoni li partit jirċievi donazzjoni mill-Istat).
Fid-dawl ta’ dan Alternattiva Demokratika qed titlob lill-Kummissjoni Elettorali biex immedjatament tinvestiga lill-Onorevoli Joseph Muscat li bħala Prim Ministru ippermetta li ssir donazzjoni mill-Istat (użu tal-Palazz tal-Girgenti) kif ukoll lill-Partit Laburista talli irċieva din id-donazzjoni kontra dak li tipprovdi l-Kap 544 tal-Liġijiet ta’
Malta.
Dejjem tiegħek,
Ralph Cassar
Segretarju Ġenerali
Alternattiva Demokratika
