The Nationalist Party said on Thursday that a police commissioner appointed through a two-thirds majority in parliament should also enjoy security of tenure.

PN leader Bernard Grech on Sunday said the Opposition would present a motion for the appointment of the police commissioner to be made after approval by at least two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives.

The commissioner is currently appointed by the government after a call for applications.

The PN has been critical of the government's decision to renew Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa's contract for a second four-year term, insisting that he had failed his duties.

Darren Carabott, shadow minister for home affairs, and Karol Aquilina, shadow minister for justice, said in a statement that the police commissioner should enjoy the people's confidence and be free of political interference.

The commissioner should not only have the skills and experience required of the post but should also display willingness and determination to act with impartiality.  

It was for this reason that the Opposition was insisting that the commissioner's method of appointment should change.

The commissioner should be appointed after a public call and a grilling before the House Public Appointments Committee. The appointment should be made by the President and require the support of an absolute majority of the House of Representatives.   

The commissioner should then enjoy security of tenure and may only be removed by a vote of two-thirds of the members of the House on the basis of proven incapacity or misbehaviour.

The PN said Gafa's serious shortcomings had not only seen the police fail to investigate serious cases, particularly those involving politicians but had also demotivated the force, with many experienced officers deciding to leave.

Labour reaction

In a reaction, the Labour Party did not directly address the PN's proposals but said that it had been the Labour government which reformed the way the police commissioner was appointed, introducing the call for expressions of interest and involving a parliamentary committee in interviewing the candidate before his appointment. 

The PN had been criticising Gafa' since before his appointment and did not take part in the parliamentary process ahead of his appointment, showing disrespect for the institution.