In view of Minister Bonnici’s recent delaration on decriminalization, AD Spokesperson for Social Affairs Robert Callus said: “Dr Owen Bonnici’s words on the issue cause nothing less than confusion when he says that “If we have to look into the small details of the law, then yes, it is still a criminal offence but that does not mean that we have not decriminalized simple posession.”
Alternattiva asks:”Is it a criminal offence or not? The main bone of contention in this issue is whether the posession of small amounts of drugs for personal use can get that person arrested or not. And it seems that people can still be arrested for posession of petty amounts. There is not going to be a significant reform as promised. The same existent draconian laws will just be dressed differently”.
Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson, Prof. Arnold Cassola, said: “Joseph Muscat’s promise that the decriminalization of drugs is the next reform his government will bring about is nothing else than playing about with words. Rather than empty rhetoric we reiterate that the Maltese government follows serious models that have been used with success for years on end, such as the Portuguese model, which today has the backing of all the major parties in that country”.
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Fid-dawl tad-dikjarazzjoni li għamel m’ilux il-Ministru Bonnici dwar id-dikriminalizzazzjoni, il-kelliem ta’ AD dwar il-politika soċjali, Robert Callus qal: “Il-kliem ta’ Dr Owen Bonnici dwar din il-kwistjoni ma holpqx għajr konfużjoni meta qal: “ Jekk inħarsu lejn id-dettalji tal-liġi, allura iva, għadha kontra l-liġi, imma dan ma jfissirx li ma iddikriminalizzajniex il-pussess sempliċi tad-droga.”
Alternattiva tistaqsi:”Huwa att kriminali jew le? Il-problema tidher li tirrigwarda l-punt dwar jekk persuna li jkollha fil-pussess tagħha ammont żgħir ta’ droga għall-użu personali tistax tiġi arrestata. U, mid-dehra, persuni xorta se jkunu jistgħu jiġu arrestati fuq pussess ta’ ammonti żgħar. Mhux ser ikun hemm riforma sinifikanti kif kien imwiegħed. L-istess liġijiet goffi sempliċiment ser ikunu imlibbsin libsa ġdida”.
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, il-Prof. Arnold Cassola, qal: “il-wegħda ta’ Joseph Muscat li d-dikriminalizzazzjoni tad-droga se tkun ir-riforma li jmiss tal-gvern tiegħu ma hi xejn ħlief logħob bil-kliem. Minflok paroli, AD tesiġi li l-gvern Malti jsegwi mudelli serji li ġew ippruvati b’suċċess fuq medda ta’ snin, bħall-mudell Portugiż, li illum għandu l-appoġġ tal-partiti ewlenin kollha f’dak il-pajjiż”.
