The President's call for members of the public to submit suggestions on how the Constitution should change, appears to be extremely limited in scope since people will not be aware what anyone else has submitted, the civil society NGO Repubblika said on Thursday.

In a statement, the NGO said it found 'no comfort' in the participation of the President in the reform process.

"In spite of his undoubted good intentions, such participation amounts to exceeding the limits of his powers and responsibilities within the Constitutional bounds that define his role today. That is hardly an encouraging start to a process that is supposed to redefine those limits," it said.

"Also, irrespective of whatever moral authority President George Vella might hope to have, the government has repeatedly demonstrated its determination to use its unhindered control of Parliament to implement Constitutional changes that serve its own interests," it said. 

"The fact that the government is recruiting a State Attorney this summer that will be appointed at the sole and exclusive discretion of the Prime Minister as a result of Constitutional changes that were not discussed with anyone outside Parliament indicates that the process launched by President George Vella could very well be a front behind which political parties implement the changes that best suit their interests," it claimed.

The NGO said it was deeply concerned that its own detailed submission on the process of Constitutional review and reform, handed to President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca last March on her own request and of the Steering Committee of the two political parties has not even been acknowledged. Nor had it been given any sort of acknowledgement by President George Vella.

"Repubblika does not presume to have some right to determine the process of change of the Constitution. But we have the responsibility to inform the public of our concerns that behind-closed-doors Constitutional reforms have, in universal historical experience, led to compromised democracy, restraint on human rights and the exculpation of tyranny under the guise of high sounding but unenforceable principles.

"The least we would expect is for the decision making process to be determined at the outset and to be made publicly known so that politicians would not be in a position to decide what to debate and approve in Parliament without first having made any public commitments on how they would ensure public awareness of and support for the changes they introduce," the NGO said. 

It said it had submitted, again, its recommendations for a transparent, genuinely inclusive and participatory Constitutional reform process (see pdf below).

"We also reiterate that failing proper public participation, and notwithstanding our wishes for a genuine improvement to our Constitutional framework, our stand is firmly against any changes to the Constitution. 

"We would much rather continue to enjoy the protections given by our present imperfect Constitution than trust our fate to a future, unknown re-written constitution designed to protect instead the whims of the political parties who currently abuse those safeguards."

Attached files

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