ADPD agrees with the need of affirmative action to address the lack of gender balance in Parliament, however, government’s proposal to address this imbalance in Parliament is both degrading and discriminatory. This was stated by Sandra Gauci, ADPD spokesperson today when addressing a press Conference outside Parliament which is currently discussing legislation which purports to address gender imbalance in Parliament.
Addressing gender imbalance is long overdue but it should be addressed properly. It is degrading to pick up unelected Parliamentary candidates with a fraction of the votes required for election and to declare them as MPs as a consolation prize. Female candidates should have a proper opportunity to compete for a seat in Parliament at par with male candidates.
Sandra Gauci added that rather than tinkering with the electoral system a complete overhaul is required.
ADPD has already proposed, over one year ago, an alternative system based on gender-balanced party lists as is already done in various other European countries, emphasised Carmel Cacopardo, ADPD Chairperson. The Commission entrusted with the proposed reforms discarded ADPD’s proposals without even considering it appropriate to carry out research and discuss further the proposals.
Government’s proposals are also discriminatory, added Cacopardo as they discriminate against women active in third parties. Bill 119 makes it clear that the objective is to apply the new rules in general elections “when candidates from two parties make it to Parliament”.
In this respect the Opposition’s declaration that it will seek to move amendments in particular to address the discrimination against third/small parties is laudable but will not achieve much through tinkering of the current electoral system.
ADPD Chairperson added that an overhaul of the electoral system is required addressing both the gender-balance as well as the proportionality Constitutional top-ups both of which are discriminatory as they are specifically designed for a two-party system.
ADPD has proposed an alternative consisting of basing elections on party list which should be gender balanced. At the end of the day this would also do away with the need to correct results to adjust for proportionality as elections so organised give us results which are strictly proportional too.
We need serious electoral reform instead of tinkering with the Constitution in the interests of the large parties in parliament, concluded Carmel Cacopardo.
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Riforma elettorali serja, mhux logħob bil-Kostituzzjoni
ADPD taqbel ma’ azzjoni affermattiva biex jiġi indirizzat l-iżbilanċ bejn il-ġeneri fil-Parlament. Pero il-proposta tal-Gvern biex jindirizza l-iżbilanċ bejn is-sessi fil-Parlament hija degradanti u diskriminatorja. Mhux vera li s-sistema proposta hija xi forma ta’ ‘kwota’, iżda hija biss ‘top-up’ ta’ kandidati nisa Laburisti u Nazzjonalisti li ma’ ġewx eletti. Dan qalitu Sandra Gauci, kelliema għall-ADPD waqt konferenza stampa barra l-Parlament. Bħalissa l-Parlament qed jiddiskuti abbozzi ta’ liġi li għandu l-intenzjoni li jindirizza l-iżbilanċ bejn is-sessi fil-Parlament.
Il-bżonn li jiġi indirizzat l-iżbilanċ bejn il-ġeneri ilu jinħass. Iżda dan l-iżbilanċ għandu jiġi indirizzat kif suppost u mhux bit-traqqiegħ tal-pannu bil-qara aħmar u l-logħob mal-kostituzzjoni. Huwa degradanti li ttella kandidati Parlamentari li ma ġewx eletti u li ġabu biss frazzjoni tal-voti meħtieġa biex ikunu eletti u tiddikjarahom bħala Membri Parlamentari bħala premju ta’ konsolazzjoni. Il-kandidati nisa għandu jkollhom l-opportunità xierqa li jikkompetu għal siġġu fil-Parlament bl-istess mod bħall-kandidati rġiel.
Sandra Gauci saħqet li mhux logħob bil-Kostituzzjoni li hemm bżonn iżda riforma sħiħa tas-sistema elettorali.
ADPD diġà pproponiet, aktar minn sena ilu, sistema alternattiva bbażata fuq listi ta ’partiti bbilanċjati bejn il-ġeneri kif diġà sar f’diversi pajjiżi Ewropej oħra, enfasizza ċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD Carmel Cacopardo. Il-Kummissjoni fdata bir-riformi proposti skartat il-proposti ta’ ADPD mingħajr lanqas biss ikkunsidrat li tiddiskuti l-proposti fil-fond, jew li twettaq riċerka dwar proposti diversi. Il-Kummissjoni serviet biss bħala paraventu biex tmexxi ‘l quddiem biss il-proposti tal-gvern. Il-konsultazzjoni kienet superfiċjali.
Il-proposti tal-Gvern huma wkoll diskriminatorji, żied Cacopardo billi jiddiskriminaw kontra nisa attivi f’partiti li nsertaw li mhux il-PL jew il-PN. L-abbozz ta’ liġi 119 jagħmilha ċara li l-għan huwa li jiġu applikati r-regoli l-ġodda fl-elezzjonijiet ġenerali biss meta kandidati minn żewġ partiti jiħu eletti fil-Parlament. Ir-regoli l-ġodda miktubin speċifikament biex jippremjaw kandidati nisa tal-PL u l-PN biss.
F’dan ir-rigward id-dikjarazzjoni tal-Oppożizzjoni li se tfittex li tmexxi emendi b’mod partikolari biex tindirizza d-diskriminazzjoni kontra partiti oħra hija ta’ min ifaħħarha, iżda dan mhux biżżejjed għax it-traqqiegħ tas-sistema elettorali attwali ma tantx se jagħti frott.
Iċ-Chairperson tal-ADPD qal li tinħtieġ reviżjoni tas-sistema elettorali li tindirizza kemm il-bilanċ bejn il-ġeneri kif ukoll il-proporzjonalità. Dawn it-‘top-ups’ fil-Kostituzzjoni t-tnejn huma diskriminatorji għax huma disinjati speċifikament għal sistema ta’ żewġ partiti.
ADPD ipproponiet alternattiva li tikkonsisti fl-elezzjonijiet ibbażati fuq listi elettorali tal-partiti li għandhom ikunu bbilanċjati bejn il-ġeneri. Din is-sistema tnaqqas il-ħtieġa li r-riżultati jiġu aġġustati wkoll għall-proporzjonalità billi s-sistema tal-listi elettorali jagħtuna riżultati li huma wkoll strettament proporzjonali.
Għandna bżonn riforma elettorali serja minflok mal-Parlament joqgħod jilgħab mal-Kostituzzjoni fl-interessi tal-partiti l-kbar fil-parlament, temm Carmel Cacopardo.
