Labour hits out at PN ‘attack on constitutional body’

Labour MP Michael Falzon has said that the Labour Party has faith in the electoral commission and underscored the fact that its members are appointed according to the constitution, as has consistently happened in the past.

Falzon was addressing a press conference together with justice minister Owen Bonnici where he accused the Nationalist Party (PN) of double standards by, on the one hand “expecting to be seen as the paladin of good governance” while at the same time attacking the electoral commission simply because it is investigating the PN

Referring to a press release issued by the Nationalist Party, Falzon said that in the same press release the PN had said that “if things play out as described in the party financing law, it would go against the constitution,” while at the same time attacking the electoral commission because of the way in which it is appointed, which is outlined in the constitution.

“The composition of the commission, in addition to it having been done in accordance with the constitution, was also in accordance with what has constitutionally happened for the past 25 to 30 years,” said Falzon.

The MP stressed that the electoral commission is appointed by the President after consultation with the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition, adding that the current members of the commission had been appointed in the same way they have been since 1987.

“[Opposition leader Simon] Busuttil now knows that he is in the wrong and has so much to hide that he is afraid the commission will find something,” he added.

Falzon accused Busuttil of trying to dictate what authorities had the right to investigate him, and stressed that the fact that the PN had dragged its feet in introducing party financing law showed just how much the party had to hide.

Justice minister Owen Bonnici said that those who have nothing to hide have no problem being investigated by a constitutionally appointed body that has overseen all previous general elections.

Bonnici accused Busuttil of contradicting himself after initially having stated that the PN would defend itself because it had nothing to hide.

“Now that the investigation is about to start, Simon Busuttil has turned on the electoral commission and is saying that it is bad,” he said, adding that Busuttil’s intention was to simply to escape the fact that he had “broken the law”.

Moreover, he said that the PN had issued a number of statements in which the party quoted the electoral commission.

“When it suits them, or the commission says something about the Labour Party, Simon Busuttil has no problem quoting the commission. When the commission investigates the PN, all of a sudden it is bad,” continued Bonnici.

He said that the PN had consistently attacked institutions and authorities that criticised or did not agree with the PN’s position.