Activist group il-Kollettiv has praised a series of proposals for parliamentary reform made separately by Momentum political party and the Chamber of Commerce.

“Whilst acknowledging the need for at least a third political representation in Parliament, we agree in principle with both a reduction in MPs and the number of electoral districts,” said il-Kollettiv President Jeanette Borg.

“The current state of affairs allows politicians huge control over their electoral districts, often drowning out the voices and sentiments of the electorate itself. The culture of nepotism is a result of the fragmentation of regions and towns into electoral districts while political patronage has contributed to the ruin of their identities.”

Whilst agreeing with the Chamber of Commerce’s proposals for full-time politicians with a fair remuneration, il-Kollettiv said it believes that this should be accompanied by similar standards for the CEOs of the various government agencies.

“Across various sectors of public administration, authorities and CEOs wield more power than ministries and ministers. The creation of so many entities and bodies has increased bureaucracy for citizens and residents, often leading to gaps in competencies and loopholes. Not only should the salaries of CEOs be reined in, but the number of government authorities and entities should be reduced and their functions consolidated in a bid to reduce the waste of public resources, red tape for citizens, and corruption.”

The group also called for the removal of “positions of trust”, which are often handed abusively and have also led to a weakening of the civil service.

Il-Kollettiv also said that the current gender quotas for the election of women in parliament are a “corrective, mathematical mechanism” which do nothing to change the current culture. “Instead of their removal, we believe that the gender quotas have to be introduced within the political parties’ own lists of candidates, along with a reform of the Electoral Commission to ensure the adequate representation of women in the electoral decision-making.”