The proposed anti-deadlock mechanism that would allow the standards commissioner to be appointed by a simple majority, which is fiercely opposed by the PN, was copied from the 2017 PN manifesto, Robert Abela told parliament on Monday. 

Should the bill proposed by the government pass, the person to fill the vacant post of standards commissioner – on which the two parties have consistently disagreed – would be appointed with a simple majority following two attempts at getting two-thirds of the house to agree on a candidate. 

The commissioner acts as a watchdog on the ethical behaviour of MPs. 

On Sunday, opposition leader Bernard Grech described the bill as “anti-democratic”, saying it would lead to a lack of trust in the institution. 

However, Abela yesterday said that the proposal in the bill was a near-carbon copy of the PN’s 2017 manifesto.

The manifesto reads: "We will appoint a constitutional convention to start a process of constitutional change to strengthen and make state institutions and organs more independent.

This includes introducing a rule that would require a two-thirds parliamentary majority to appoint the highest offices of the state. To avoid the offices being left vacant, if a two-thirds majority in parliament is not reached twice, the third vote would require a simple majority for the appointment to take place.”

Abela added that the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe's advisory body on constitutional matters, had also proposed this. The mechanism, he said, would prevent the position remaining vacant. 

The government and opposition have failed to agree on a common candidate following the appointment of then-standards commissioner George Hyzler to the European Court of Auditors.  

Abela said the opposition was being purposefully obstructionist and refusing to accept the appointment of ex-chief justice Joseph Azzopardi, a candidate Abela repeatedly described as “ideal”.

The anti-deadlock mechanism was proposed in the 2017 PN manifesto

He claimed the opposition leader was controlled by a clique of the PN establishment and was forced to oppose Azzopardi’s appointment days after Abela and Grech had agreed on his candidacy.  

In reply, PN justice spokesperson Karol Aquilina said the prime minister’s speech was full of lies about Grech. Abela’s leadership style, he said, was “unwilling to compromise” and “unwilling to listen to consultation”.

The proposed anti-deadlock mechanism would just allow the government to appoint their handpicked standards commissioner after going through the motions of the first two rounds of voting.

Abela had kicked Hyzler upstairs because Hyzler was competent and a real watchdog on MPs and the cabinet, Aquilina said.Abela only wanted Azzopardi in the role because he expected him not to be as industrious.  

“The prime minister wants someone he can control,” Aquilina charged. It was anti-democratic, he said, to change the way the standards commissioner was appointed in the middle of the process of finding an appointee.  

“If FIFA change the rules of football in the middle of a World Cup there would be outrage,” he said. Addressing Azzopardi directly, Aquilina asked him to take a step back for the greater good.