Opposition MP Chris Said has called for the banning of MPs from government and State entities, saying such practice was tantamount to “bribing” backbenchers for their silence.
“If the government really meant business when it comes to strengthening the rule of law and implementing the Venice Commission recommendations, such practice should have been banned already,” the MP said in parliament on Monday.
Reacting, Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said he took note of the suggestion, saying it could be the next step in the rule-of-law reforms.
The Gozitan MP was speaking during the debate on a bill which will widen the decision-making process when appointing the heads of the Central Bank, the Malta Financial Services Authority, the Data Protection Commission and the Arbitration Centre. Under this bill, the Prime Minister will have to consult with Cabinet before making a decision.
Said remarked that the practice introduced by the Labour government, under which government MPs are being appointed to the boards of State entities, or at their helm, meant that the MPs in question would be reluctant to flag any wrongdoing for fear of suffering financial repercussions.
The MP pointed out that the banning of such appointments had not only been requested by the Venice Commission, but also by the Commissioner for Standards.
In his address, Zammit Lewis, the MP who moved the bill, refuted criticism that recent reforms had been rushed through.
He said changes such as the appointment of the President and members of the judiciary had long been in the pipeline, but successive governments had procrastinated.
Zammit Lewis added that the government had carried out a wide consultation before implementing these reforms.
He insisted that this bill had to be seen in the wider context, together with another 10 bills meant to implement the Venice Commission recommendation to decentralise power and have greater separation of powers.
In his winding-up speech, the Justice Minister thanked former Opposition leader Adrian Delia for his effort to ensure that six major reforms were implemented before the summer recess.
He said that following the publication of the Venice Commission’s feedback on Friday, the government had amended the wording of the bill to ensure that the prime minister will be duty-bound to seek Cabinet’s approval.
Zammit Lewis said he was keen to engage with the Opposition on further reforms in the coming months.
Speaking for the first time in his capacity as an MP only, Delia said that such change was of little use in a system in which the prime minister exerted a large influence on ministers.
He added that the onus in such cases would ultimately fall on those appointed to head these entities, to perform their duty without fear or favour.
Delia said the Opposition was committed to ensuring that these reforms would be enacted and improved if necessary.