Our public governance system is showing increasing signs of distress. The issues of division of power, the rule of law, the independence of institutions, the system of appointments to the judiciary, the financing of political parties, and the regulatory capture by big business need to be addressed if we want people to be politically engaged and democracy to grow.
The deputy leader of the Labour Party Chris Fearne promised that if elected prime minister, he will organise a conference on good governance and the rule of law. The PN leader Adrian Delia made some proposals to help the country get out of the current political crisis and avoiding a similar one in future. These initiatives are a good beginning if they signal the willingness of the two main political parties to agree on the reforms needed to make our political democracy more meaningful to ordinary people. Defining the agenda for reform is the next critical issue. The consolidation of the rule of law is undoubtedly a top priority. This exercise has to start with transparent enforcement of the division of power between the different state institutions.
It is no longer acceptable that the prime minister should continue to hold almost absolute power.
Today the prime minister defines the political, social and economic strategy of the country, approves the appointment of members of the judiciary, appoints the police commissioner and the heads of independent regulatory bodies, and fills most public governance posts with persons of trust.
When people elect a government, they entrust it to act as the steward of the country for five years. This delegation does not give the right to the party in government to behave as though the country is its personal fiefdom. We need to move away from the practice that, after an election, the winner takes all and almost half the population feels disenfranchised and disillusioned. Malta should indeed belong to everyone.
While holding a conference on good governance and the rule of law would help to focus attention on the urgent need for constitutional reform, the process of updating the Constitution has already started. The President could and should act as a catalyst to bring together all political parties as well as civil society to exchange views on how our democracy can be made more meaningful to our community. The reforms should not be too focused just on political change. We need a Constitution that speaks about the protection of our environment and the cultural identity of the island. We also need a Constitution that militates against the corruption of our politics by influential lobby groups and weak regulation on lucrative public procurement contracts for political funders and greedy developers.
People have a right to make informed choices free from political indoctrination through the use of partisan media. Consultation on critical legislative issues should be genuine and not a hollow exercise to give a semblance of open government. Some of the necessary measures to fix our broken public governance system will require changes in the Constitution. Others can be introduced faster if those sitting around a table to discuss reforms adopt a mindset that is free from partisan convenience.
The President should urgently take the lead to broaden and accelerate the soul-searching exercise needed to pull the country out of the present political quagmire.