It-trasparenza, il-kontabilità u governanza tajba għandhom ikunu s-sisien ta’ kif titħaddem il-politika f’pajjiżna. Flimkien mal-kariga ta’ Awditur Ġenerali, l-Ombudsman u l-Kummissarju għall-Istandards fil-Ħajja Pubblika huma essenzjali biex ikun assigurat li dawn il-valuri ta’ importanza bażika għal kull demokrazija jkunu mħarsa u osservati mill-istituzzjonijiet ta’ pajjiżna. Dawn sostnewh kelliema ta’ ADPD – The Green Party f’konferenza tal-aħbarijiet quddiem Kastilja dalgħodu.
Samuel Vella, Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD u Chairperson tal-fergħa taż-żgħażagħ qal li l-investigazzjonijiet li saru f’ dawn l-aħħar snin urew kif in-nepotiżmu fil-politika dwar l-impjiegi fis-settur pubbliku huwa rampanti. Kemm se ndumu nisimgħu b’ abbuż ta’ poter, meta xi ministru jagħti xogħol fantażma lill-partner? Ibda minn Justyne Caruana, u spiċċa bi Clayton Bartolo.
L-azzjoni għar-riżenji ta’ dawn in-nies ma kinitx immedjata, imma ttieħdet wara ħafna tkaxkir tas-saqajn; dan ma jirriflettix tajjeb fuq il-ħarsien tad-demokrazija u s-saltna tad-dritt f’pajjiżna. Huwa d-dmir tal-Prim Ministru li jiddeċiedi s-severita’ tal-kastig mistħoqq għal ksur ta’ etika mill-ministri. Rosianne Cutajar għamlet żmien qasir f’purgatorju politiku bħala membru parlamentari indipendenti u issa donnha ssaffiet minn ħtijietha u reġgħet lura mal-partit fil-gvern. Justyne Caruana rriżenjat iżda ftit wara, ingħatat kariga oħra. Amanda Muscat raddet lura l-ħlas żejjed li ngħatat; madankollu, Rosanne Cutajar ma ġietx imġiegħla trodd lura l-flus misruqa.
Ir-riżenji, għalkemm essenzjali, m’humiex biżżejjed. Dawn il-każijiet serji għandhom jiġu investigati mill-pulizija. La Rosianne Cutajar, la Justyne Caruana u lanqas Clayton Bartolo ma ġew interrogati mill-Pulizija. Il-konsegwenzi kienu biss politiċi iżda ħadd minnhom ma ġie investigat kriminalment, u dawn għadhom jiġru barra, qisu xejn mhu xejn. Kien biss il-Prim Ministru li ddeċieda x’azzjoni kellha tittieħed, fuq kriterji li jaf hu biss, filwaqt li ressaq argumenti xejn konvinċenti biex donnu jnaqqas mill-gravita’ tal-aġir tal-ministri tiegħu. Il-Prim Ministru kontinwament jiddefendi l-azzjonijiet kriminali ta’ dawn il-Membri Parlamentari. Tisimgħu jitkellem bilkemm ma taħsibx li huma vittmi.
Sandra Gauci, Chairperson ta’ ADPD qalet li il-Prim Ministru qiegħed jirredikola l-investigazzjonijiet u l-konklużjonijiet serji tal-Awditur Ġenerali u l-Kummissarju dwar l-Istandards fil-Ħajja Pubblika. Ir-rispons tal-Prim Ministru għall-istess aġir kriminali mhux konsistenti. It-tlieta taw jew ingħataw xogħol fantażma. Kif tista tafda Prim Ministru li għall-istess illegalità, jaġixxi kif jiftillu? Xi kredibilità jibqagħlu l-Prim Ministru meta għal illegalitajiet ekwivalenti, jaġixxi b’mod imprevedibbli, skond il-burdata? Dan mhux mod serju kif tmexxi pajjiż u mhux mod kredibbli kif titratta nies li jkunu serqu mil-flus pubbliċi b’ingann.
Gauci kompliet tistaqsi: Meta tara din il-laxkezza dwar kif jiġi ttrattat min seraq flus il-poplu, ftit tista’ tifhem kif il-gvern għadu jkaxkar saqajh dwar il-ftehim kollettiv tal-għalliema tal-MCAST li ilu li skada sentejn u nofs. F’liema burdata jrid ikun il-Prim Ministru biex forsi jasal għal ftehim li jixraq lill-edukaturi tal-MCAST? Mhux biss l-edukaturi pprotestaw għal darba, tnejn, tlieta imma anke l-istudenti li xebgħu ibatu l-konsegwenzi ta’ dan it-tkaxkir tas-saqajn. Anke studenti żgħażagħ fehmu li s-sitwazzjoni li qegħdin fiha l-istaff tal-MCAST hija tal-mistħija u li għandhom juru solidarjetà mal-għalliema tagħhom u mhux jikkundannawhom. Imma l-kbarat u dawk li jistgħu jirranġaw is-sitwazzjoni, dan għadhom ma fehmuhx. Għadhom ma fehmux li dan id-dewmien jagħmel biss ħsara: la qiegħed joffri serħan tal-moħħ lill-għalliema u lanqas lill-istudenti. L-għalliema ma jistgħux jagħmlu xogħolhom sewwa għax mhumiex jiġu trattati kif jixraq; filwaqt li l-istudenti ukoll qegħdin ibatu għax mhumiex jingħataw dak li hu meħtieġ u li jixirqilhom fil-mixja edukattiva tagħhom. Hemm bżonn li naslu għal ftehim li jgawdi minnu kulhadd u li ma jiddipendix mil-burdata ta’ dak il-mument. Gauci temmet b’sejħa: Ejja nimmaturaw!
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A call for transparency, accountability, and political transparency
Transparency, accountability, and good governance should be the fundamental to the way politics is done in our country. Together with the role of the General Auditor, the Ombudsman and the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life are essential in assuring that these values, critical for every democracy, are protected and observed by the public institutions of our country. This was stated by the speakers for ADPD – The Green Party in a news conference in front of Castille this morning.
Samuel Vella, Deputy Secretary of ADPD and the Chairperson of the youth wing, said that the investigations that have been conducted these last few years reveal how rampant the problem of nepotism is when it comes to the public sector. How many times are we going to hear about the abuse of power, such as a Minister giving a phantom job to a partner? Let’s take Justyne Caruana and more recently Clayton Bartolo. The resignations of these individuals were not immediate, and only handed in after much foot-dragging; this certainly does not reflect well on the safeguarding of democracy and the rule of law in our country.
It is the duty of the Prime Minister to take decisions on the severity of the punishment for the unethical behaviour of his ministers. Rosianne Cutajar spent some time in political purgatory as an independent member of parliament, and now it appears that she has been absolved of her sins; she has now rejoined the party in government. Justyne Caruana resigned, but was soon given another role. Amanda Muscat refunded the money paid in excess, whilst Rosianne Cutajar was not asked to return the money she received for her bogus appointment.
These resignations, although necessary, are not enough. These are serious cases that should be subject to police investigation. Rosianne Cutajar, Justyne Caruana and Calyton Bartolo were never interrogated by the police. The consequences were only political; nobody was ever investigated. These people are still going on with their daily lives as if nothing has ever happened. It was up to the Prime Minister to decide on the course of action in relation to these serious offences, based on criteria only known to him, as if nothing had ever happened, and at the same time presenting arguments that were far from convincing as if to play down the serious of his ministers’ behaviours. The Prime Minister is consistent in his defence of the criminal actions of his MPs. To add insult to injury he speaks as if these MPs are the victims.
Sandra Gauci, ADPD chairperson, said that the Prime Minister is ridiculing the investigations and conclusions of the General Auditor and the Commissioner for Standards of Public Life. The Prime Minister’s reactions to these criminal offenses are inconsistent. The three of them had given a phantom job or received such a role. How can one trust a Prime Minister who is inconsistent in the way he acts toward such illicit behaviours? This is not a serious way to govern a country, and the manner in which they were treated is certainly not a credible means of treating people who stole from the public purse.
Gauci further questioned this attitude: “When you see the casual attitude towards the theft of public money, how can one understand why the government is dragging its feet about the MCAST collective agreement that expired nearly three years ago? What kind of mindset must the Prime Minister have to have a collective agreement that MCAST educators deserve? Not only educators have protested, but even students, the latter who are now facing the consequences of these unjustified delays. Even students have come to understand the predicament of MCAST staff and have shown solidarity with them. But it seems that the powers that be and those who could do better to address the situation have failed to understand the issue. They have not yet understood the damage that these delays are causing. Neither MCAST staff nor MCAST students have the peace of mind they deserve. Lecturers cannot do their work well because they are not being treated well, whilst the students are also facing uncertainty as they are not being given the work necessary for their educational journey. There is the need to arrive at an agreement that will be of benefit to all, and that cannot depend on the mood of the moment. Let’s take a mature approach to the situation,” Gauci concluded.