Serious electoral reform needed on gender imbalance, not tinkering with the Constitution – ADPD

ADPD said it agrees with the need of affirmative action to address the lack of gender balance in Parliament, but took the government to task over its proposal to address this imbalance, describing it as “both degrading and discriminatory.”

Sandra Gauci, ADPD spokesperson addressed a press conference outside Parliament, where lawmakers are currently discussing legislation intended to address MP gender imbalance.

ADPD representatives outside Parliament this morning

“Addressing gender imbalance is long overdue but it should be addressed properly. It is degrading to pick up unelected Parliamentary candidates with a fraction of the votes required for election and to declare them as MPs as a consolation prize. Female candidates should have a proper opportunity to compete for a seat in Parliament at par with male candidates,” Gauci said.

Gauci added that rather than tinkering with the electoral system a complete overhaul is required.

“ADPD has already proposed, over one year ago, an alternative system based on gender-balanced party lists as is already done in various other European countries,” emphasised, ADPD Chairperson, Carmel Cacopardo. “The Commission entrusted with the proposed reforms discarded ADPD’s proposals without even considering it appropriate to carry out research and discuss further the proposals.”

Government’s proposals were also discriminatory, added Cacopardo as they discriminated against women active in third parties.  Bill 119 makes it clear that the objective is to apply the new rules in general elections “when candidates from two parties make it to Parliament,” ADPD said.

It praised the Opposition’s declaration that it will seek to move amendments in particular to address the discrimination against third/small parties as “laudable” but said it would not achieve much through tinkering with the current electoral system.

The ADPD Chairperson added that an overhaul of the electoral system is required addressing both the gender-balance as well as the proportionality Constitutional top-ups both of which he described as discriminatory as they are “specifically designed for a two-party system.”

ADPD has proposed an alternative consisting of basing elections on party lists which should be gender balanced. “At the end of the day this would also do away with the need to correct results to adjust for proportionality as elections so organised give us results which are strictly proportional too. We need serious electoral reform instead of tinkering with the Constitution in the interests of the large parties in parliament,” concluded Cacopardo.