Updated | Specific constitutional changes to address corruption needed, Opposition tells Venice Commission

Specific constitutional changes to address transparency and corruption issues are needed rather than broad changes, the Opposition told a group of experts from the Council of Europe.

Nationalist MP Carm Mifsud Bonnici told members of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission this morning that its remit was too wide.

The commission is in Malta after it was invited by the government to carry out a review of Malta’s institutions and propose the necessary changes.

“The Opposition is concerned that the government has given the Venice Commission a remit that is too wide… we are interested in having specific constitutional issues addressed in any changes to the constitution, and not broad amendments,” Mifsud Bonnici said.

He was speaking during a meeting with the commission’s representatives. PN MPs Chris Said and David Stellini were also present.

The Venice Commission yesterday held talks with Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne and Justice Minister Owen Bonnici.

The Opposition members said the PN had been in government for a long period, during which time it had managed to strengthen Malta's democratic institutions.

Since ending up in Opposition, the PN had been pushing for better controls on corruption and issues related to transparency and meritocracy, Mifsud Bonnici added.

The Commission said it was "very interested" in hearing the Opposition's views, and wanted to discuss how to draw up constitutional amendments which could address such issues.

The Council of Europe's Venice Commission is an advisory body composed of independent experts in the field of constitutional law.

Labour Party meeting

The Venice Commission also met with government whip Byron Camilleri and Labour MP Edward Zammit Lewis on behalf of the Labour Party.

In a statement, the party said that the two MPs explained the nature of the reforms undertaken by the Maltese government in order “to strengthen the country’s democracy and governance structures”.

“It was a positive meeting where, in a spirit of open dialogue, we were able to explain the important changes made by our country in the time that it has been led by a Labour government,” Camilleri was quoted saying.

The reforms highlighted by the Labour MPs included that granting parliament its autonomy, the appointment of a parliamentary commissioner for standards a committee for the parliamentary scrutiny of public appointments.

“They were all changes that, though the country had been discussing for a long time, were only implemented upon the election of a Labour government,” Zammit Lewis said.