.png)
Citizenship scheme should be discussed by Constitutional Convention – Franco Debono
Citizenship is constitutional issue ‘par excellence’ and sale of passports should have been subject to wide consultation, Franco Debono says.
21 November 2013, 12:00am
Jurgen Balzan
Jurgen Balzan
2 min read
Franco Debono - the IIP should be discussed in the constitutional convention he will be leading
The sale of Maltese citizenship through the Individual Investor Programme, should have been discussed and scrutinized by the people before becoming law, former MP Franco Debono has told MaltaToday.
Debono, now Commissioner for Laws and the coordinator of the Constitutional Convention, said that the law selling passports for €650,000 approved in the House should now be discussed by the convention, in the absence of a debate involving both MPs and civil society.
Expressing his concern on the IIP, Debono said: "If a Constitutional Convention is to be convened, the citizenship scheme should be the first item on the agenda since citizenship is a constitutional issue par excellence, and the plan is to have a wide cross-section of Maltese society represented within the convention."
Debono said the people should express their opinion through the convention, "especially considering the way events have evolved."
The Nationalist Opposition has mounted a strong protest against the IIP, claiming that it wanted the sale of citizenship to be tied to residence and a €5 million investment in the country.
Asked why citizenship could be a matter of concern to him, Debono said citizenship was "like the Constitution itself, language and the common heritage, one of the greatest unifying characteristics and symbols of a nation and its people."
Debono's concerns follow the announcement that government and the Opposition will be engaging in a new round of talks on the scheme, even though amendments to the law were passed in the House.
But Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is currently in Miami at a conference organised by IIP concessionaires Henley & Partners.
Talks between the government and the Opposition are set to start today, however PN leader Simon Busuttil made it clear that the party will not budge from its hardline stand unless the government drops the outright sale of citizenship from the equation.
On Friday, government said it would remove the secrecy clause however the Opposition said the move was not enough and insisted on the introduction of investment and residence requirements.
This week Muscat said he was prepared to hold fresh talks with the Opposition, hinting that the scheme's rules may be changed. While extending his arm and calling for consensus, Muscat added that he would not rule out a referendum on the matter if no consensus was reached.
Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.
•
As an emigrant for fifty years, and always considering myself as Maltese first and foremost, I am saddened to see citizenship of my homeland denigrated to something that can be bartered for. Most of our forefathers who fought and died to defend and maintain the Maltese heritage could never afford to "pay" for the honour in hard cash, so they paid in blood, sweat and tears! No amount of money could possibly equate to their sacrifices. Selling citizenship is not a singular act. Like a simple seed, once sown, it will grow and multiply for generations. The children of such "new citizens", their offspring, and their descendants become entitled to have the same rights as "natural citizens", so this will not be a "one-off" occurrence but one that will have long lasting effects. Please re-think this scheme if for nothing else, the sake of our forefathers who valued our heritage more than their own lives.
•
I feel that all that is going on is a storm in a tea cup, if one looks back at the amounts running in their thousands of citizenship granted to outsiders during the last years no one showed any concern about all this but stayed mum and left things rolling. So it is not a question of granting a citizenship against payment or investment call it what you like, but it is a question that we want to stop a process whose only beneficiaries are the Maltese people. 30 million in extra cash for our country. In my opinion PN wants this burden to be passed on to the people as in the past with electric bills when they voted for higher bills. It is only the revers if it was the PN that came out with something like this than it had to be fine but when PL embarks on something like this this is wrong selling the country prostitution. I say F... O.. all and keep going in the direction that the government feels best for this country
•
When you think that Franco Debono has faded away, here he is again proving me right. Franco Debono is here to stay and he will not fade away. He seems to show up when least expected and believe it or not he makes a lot of sense. Maybe that is why a lot of people regard him as a bad politician. Most politicians do not make a lot of sense. So give Franco Debono a lot of credit because he is not afraid to tell it like it is. I thought Mr Joe had won him over but low and behold. I agree with Franco Debono this is not a PL/PN decision, this should be a Maltese Citizen decision and a referendum regarding this subject and that of illegal immigration is warranted.
•
Do not agree with you Dr Debono, all they are after simple simon and co. is to spokes in the wheels, The PL should fix the secrecy clause and thats it, we have to move forward, there is too much time wasted on the IIP.
•
Ara....stenbah Franco!
•
What is the cost of referendums? I think that the Laborites tried to save on this by quickly passing laws and appointing people to preside over the IIP. They go faster than the wind at times and drag their feet with respect to social policy, economy and general well-being of society, and, I am afraid that we are not doing so well, unfortunately.
•
I am normally in agreement with Dr Debono, and I can see the value of his advice. However, let me remind him that we are talking about a nation that wanted to be more Italian than the Italians; more British than the Pommies themselves; and would grab most opportunities as they present themselves to leave this rock for better opportunities elsewhere. May I remind the good lawyer that many upwardly mobile (and not so upward) locals find an inner pleasure in using the English language in public (or a local version of it) so as to distinguish themselves from the local Maltese populace. Now the IIP might reverse this trend by attracting talented, rich entrepreneurs who would initially obtain citizenship, and then gradually gravitate towards much more local investment.
•
An agreement between government and opposition is possible and I believe will be reached. At the same time the person or persons at the political level who failed in their duty to consult with the opposition on the Programme at the drafting stage should be held to account since this person or persons have shown lack of awareness of the international implications of the Programme , especially at the European level.Malta deserves better considering the contribution we are making in the irregular immigration problem.
•
One has to be completely naive not to understand that the Opposition's aim is to put spokes in the wheels for the scheme so that it could not be realized. How can our Island compete with other countries, such as Portugal, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece Spain amongst others in putting conditions as laid down by the Leader of the Opposition; i.e. the residence clause and the amount 5 million as investment.
