Momentum is calling on the Ombudsman to look into technical issues it says are preventing people from signing petitions on the parliament's website. 

The new political party said the issue had become particularly evident following a petition it launched to oppose changes to the law governing magisterial inquiries.

Momentum said on Wednesday it had received numerous screenshots and complaints from citizens who suspect their signatures were not processed due to these technical faults.

The party believes such systemic failures undermined the fundamental democratic right to petition parliament.

“Many have expressed their frustration at being unable to process their signatures. Some are being incorrectly informed that they are not part of the electoral register, despite being registered voters," committee member Natasha Azzopardi said in a statement.

"Others are instructed to call a specific number or send an email to the Clerk of the House, raising serious concerns about privacy and transparency."

She said that the Speaker and Clerk of the House had been informed of the issue several months ago.

"As they know, any stumbling block in the process of signing a petition will put citizens off," Azzopardi added.

"These irregularities also pose significant questions about who has access to the petition database and why private individuals must disclose to third parties prior to signing a petition. The system has been plagued with such faults since its inception, and no apparent effort has been made to address these deficiencies."