AD: Public standards commissioner should investigate party financing breaches

Alternattiva Demokratika, the Green Party, has called on the government to amend the party financing law and substitute the Electoral Commissioner with the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life as the appropriate authority for the implementation of party financing rules.

The Commission is in the process of investigating an alleged breach of the rules by the Nationalist Party, over possible hundreds of thousands in donations from subsidiaries of the db Group that were paid to the PN’s media arm Media.Link in the guise of adverts.

“One of the complaints of a very serious nature which will be examined by the Commission is that concerning the Nationalist Party concerning the possible use of its commercial companies to camouflage political donations which, it is being alleged, it received in contravention of the law. Alternattiva Demokratika believes that this complaint should be investigated as soon as possible but it is aware that the Electoral Commission is not the ideal place for this to be done. AD has been emphasising this point for the past three years,” AD deputy chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said.

The members of the Electoral Commission are selected almost exclusively on political criteria: four selected by Government, four selected by the Opposition and a Chairman who is selected by government.

The Commission has also received a complaint from AD, with a sub-committee of the Commission examining the Labour Party’s parliamentary group use of the Girgenti Palace for one of its meetings.

But Cacopardo reiterated that it was important that it is the Commissioner for Public Standards that assumes the role of investigator of the parties and financing breaches.

On 22 March, Parliament approved the Standards in Public Life Act as a result of which, subject to the approval of a two-thirds majority, Parliament will be able to appoint the first Commissioner for Standards in Public Life.

“This is a very good step forward as a result of which government and Opposition have managed to successfully address a basic issue of ethics in public life. It is proof that where there is a will, results can be achieved,” Cacopardo said.

“This was the underlying motivation for the proposal made by Alternattiva Demokratika over three years ago that this Commissioner for Standards in Public Life should also have been entrusted with the implementation of the financing laws instead of the Electoral Commission as proposed by government.”

Cacopardo said that while the selection of the Commissioner would undoubtedly lead to the identification of a person of integrity acceptable to all, it was unfortunate that the government had ignored the proposal to seek alternatives to the Electoral Commission as the regulatory authority on party financing. “This will now lead to a prolonged period of contestation, possibly in Court, and consequently will lead to delays in the implementation of the law.”