Daphne inquiry recommendations: to what extent do they feature in manifestos?
PN and ADPD have pledged to address all the outstanding recommendations. Momentum has addressed five, and Labour two
Recommendations made by a public inquiry into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia have found varying treatment in the manifestos of political parties contesting the general election, according to a recent analysis.
The Nationalist Party and ADPD have pledged to implement all 23 outstanding recommendations, while Momentum’s manifesto includes pledges pertaining to five and the Labour Party’s includes measures to address two.
So far, only two recommendations have been fully implemented, with two others partially implemented, according to the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation.
The analysis was conducted by the foundation, a transparency and democratic reform NGO established by the fallen journalist’s family in the wake of her assassination.
The recommendations covering legislation, the justice system and treatment of the media were made in 2021 following an almost two-year inquiry.
On a recommendation for legal provisions to safeguard against improper conduct of public officials, the PL manifesto pledges to update the codes of ethics for ministers and parliamentary secretaries, the analysis shows.
The Labour manifesto also notes that preparations to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will continue in the coming months and years.
A recommendation to address SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) lawsuits – used as a tool to intimidate or financially pressure journalists – has been partially addressed by the PL.
While the party has not committed to abolishing inherited libel suits – a feature of the recommendation – it has pledged to build on existing anti-SLAPP legislation while pointing to a need to protect “those who fall victim to defamation and libellous statements”.
No other recommendations were identified in Labour’s manifesto, according to the analysis.
Momentum has addressed a recommendation to criminalise abuse of office through 12 different manifesto pledges, according to the analysis.
The proposals include clear criminal penalties for those requesting and granting political favours, an “asset dashboard” showing MP declared assets, enhanced whistleblower protection, a strengthened Anti-Corruption Commission and the establishment of a Special Prosecutor's Office for high-profile corruption cases.
And a Momentum manifesto pledge to create an independent media authority free from government and opposition representatives addresses a recommendation to revise the part of the Constitution establishing the Broadcasting Authority.
The party has also pledged to strengthen the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act with a requirement for automatic release of information by government, addressing a recommendation for FOI reform.
Its manifesto also pledges to strengthen anti-SLAPP protections for journalists and NGOs, in line with an inquiry recommendation.
'Little progress has been made'
Thursday’s analysis shows that little progress has been made in implementing the recommendations since July last year, when the Daphne Foundation said that with only two recommendations implemented, “almost nothing has changed”.
The recommendations were issued after the public inquiry into Caruana Galizia’s death found that the state should shoulder responsibility for the assassination.
Its key demand was that the state should formally acknowledge the "grave shortcomings" of Joseph Muscat's administration leading up to the 2017 car bomb.
Prime Minister Robert Abela publicly apologised for the state’s shortcomings that contributed to the murder of Caruana Galizia shortly after.