Grech says country needs wider constitutional reform, Abela slams Opposition for 'spiting the people'

Opposition leader Bernard Grech said amendments to the Constitution should be carried out in a holistic manner, not through piecemeal changes.

“We are in favour of a wider reform in the Constitution, and have always realised the country needs it,” Grech told parliament. “Government has promised the wider reform, but never acted on it.”

In reply to Grech saying the Opposition would not be voting in favour, Prime Minister Robert Abela slammed the move, saying they are only doing so to spite the government.

“It is not me you will be spiting, it is the people who will have to continue enduring elongated court processes,” Abela told Opposition MPs.  

MPs on Wednesday continued to discuss a package of constitutional amendments aimed at strengthening standards and improve efficiency within the justice sector.

After a division was requested, Government MPs voted in favour of the changes, while Opposition MPs voted against.

Changes included the removal of the ban on judges becoming President of the Republic and the creation of three sections within the Constitutional Court to hear constitutional appeals. The amendments also propose greater judicial involvement in the appointment of the Chief Justice and the introduction of a formal register of shortlisted candidates by the Judicial Appointments Committee.

The Nationalist leader said the Constitution’s role as the “foundation for democracy” should be understood, and changes should be part of a wider reform.

He said the Opposition has voted in favour of Constitutional amendments on previous occasions on the premise a wider reform is debated and enacted. But Grech said the government has never followed up on pledges to do so, and so the Opposition will be voting against the changes.

“We believe in this [a wider reform]. The government says it believes in this, but fails to act on it,” he said.

Grech went on to say there are a number of institutions and sectors which need reforming like the Electoral Commission, Broadcasting Authority, state broadcaster, the Attorney General and the Police Commissioner.

“Government is always firefighting according to the situation of the day,” he said.

In a hard-hitting speech, the Prime Minister slammed the Opposition for spiting the government in not voting in favour of the changes.

“All I heard was a 30-minute speech as an excuse for not voting in favour,” he said. “In essence you want to decide what laws should be enacted.”

The PM went on to say the Opposition would be voting against the people.

He insisted the judiciary itself wanted the changes, and recommended increased scrutiny on its work.

Going through the changes, Abela said Opposition MPs should be ashamed for voting against.