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[WATCH] Minister defends Identity Malta’s role in voting rights granted to IIP voters
Labour Party deputy leader contenders hold press conference to praise government’s economic achievements
The contenders for the PL deputy leadership race: Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Chris Cardona and Owen Bonnici
Labour defends Identity Malta's role in IIP votes (Video:Chris Mangion)
Justice Minister Owen Bonnici has defended Identity Malta after the opposition flagged some 91 IIP citizens who were granted voting rights in breach of the constitution.
Bonnici insisted that Identity Malta was only responsible of the processing of applications for citizenship whilst voting rights fell under the responsibility of the Electoral Commission, which was made up of representatives of both parties.
“The government doesn’t interfere in the works of the Electoral Commission, whose functions are regulated by the Constitution. There is now a court case and it will be up to the courts to determine the outcome,” Bonnici told a press conference.
Bonnici, alongside Economy Minister Chris Cardona and Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, was addressing a press conference following the publication of the latest credit rating report on Malta by Moody’s.
“Identity Malta has no function in determining who should be granted voting rights,” he said, as he denied allegations of abuse in grating IIP citizens voting rights.
Whilst the trio would not entertain questions on the deputy leadership race, Cardona, Bonnici and Zrinzo Azzopardi spoke of government’s economic achievements and improvements in good governance.
They said, that reports such as those issued by Moody’s were important not only because they confirmed statistical consistency but because investors depended on such reports before deciding in which country to direct their investment.
“Report after report confirm that the Labour Party in government does work,” Cardona said.
Zrinzo Azzopardi said economic growth was a tool for government to ensure that wealth is distributed among citizens whilst reiterating the party’s commitment to continue fighting poverty.
On his part, Bonnici said that the government was working incessantly to improve good governance and further legislations were in the pipeline to achieve this.
