Political situation and Venice Report – watch this space

29 May Political situation and Venice Report – watch this space

After noticing that a lot has been written by some who not only are insufficiently qualified to discuss the subject, but probably have not even read the Venice Report itself, I thought it fit to embark on a technical analysis of the Report which I will be publishing in the form of a Letter to the Venice Commission on this site.

I will position my analysis within the political perspective, an indispensable angle if one is to understand any deficiencies in the system and an objective appraisal of the Report itself. Most of the themes discussed by the Report originated in the Maltese Parliament – www.riformagustizzja.com – and in this sense there is little originality in the Report. On the other hand the Report fails to tackle some crucial and fundamental issues like the Secret Service.

It is very ironic for example that at the same time this country is discussing a Venice Report whose main aim seems to be that of curbing Prime Ministerial powers, in regards to a Prime Minister that has since the Report resigned, the current Prime Minister and the same Labour party soar higher according to a recent survey in which the Opposition emerges weaker which situation posits the first question – since institutional reform can never substitute a strong Opposition to keep a Prime Minister’s powers in check, are we going overboard with some of these reforms just because a weak Opposition is making successive Labour Prime Ministers look invincible? Are these reforms an emergency exit for an impotent Opposition?

Shall we end up disfiguring these institutions and demeaning them with tragic consequences , decreasing checks and balances instead of increasing them, with the genuine excuse of curbing Prime Ministerial powers when in reality what the country urgently needs is not the exaggerated purview of some of the suggested changes but a strong Opposition and a multiplicity of parties? Are those who tried to silence me when I formulated these reforms – www.riformagustizzja.com – now going overboard to the other extreme, over acting when they shouldn’t whilst inactive when they should have?

Is excessive pressure by external organisations on the local government conducive to beneficial results? The government’s proposals are very courageous and show the new minister has immediately put in a lot of work and good ideas, but is external pressure taking our institutions in the wrong direction after all? Should a President of the Republic, a symbol of national unity who must keep away from controversial issues be even remotely involved in these discussion which ultimately place him in a conflict of interest since some concern his office?

This and more in the upcoming blog posts.