Lejn politika marittima integrata

Huwa tajjeb li f’dawn il-jiem diversi esponenti tal-Gvern tkellmu dwar il-ħtieġa ta’ politika marittima integrata. Kliem f’dan is-sens intqal fil-kuntest tal-Jum Marittimu imfakkar b’attivitajiet diversi inkluż biż-żjara tal-Kummissarju Ewropew għall-Affarijiet Marittimi w is-Sajd iċ-Ċiprijotta Maria Damanaki.

Hu floku li Malta bħala Gżira tagħti iktar importanza lill-baħar ta’ madwarna. Imma huwa daqstant importanti li nifhmu illi hu meħtieġ li jkun hemm politika marittima integrata fuq livell Mediterranu. L-istess bħalma l-Unjoni Ewropea tfittex li tintegra l-ħidma tagħha fid-Danubju, fil-Baltiku u riċentement fl-Atlantiku permezz ta’ makrostrateġija għal dawn ir-reġjuni huwa meħtieġ ukoll li l-ħidma fil-Mediterran tkun iktar integrata b’użu iktar iffukat tar-riżorsi allokati.

Huwa f’dan il-kuntest li fil-ġranet li għaddew għan-nom ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika tlabt li l-MEUSAC jiddiskuti din il-materja. Għax filwaqt li Malta tagħmel sewwa li tfassal u tiddiskuti politika marittima integrata hu meħtieġ li din il-politika tirrispondi għal dak li qed jiġri madwarna.

Fost l-issues injorati tul is-snin u li dwarhom ktibt diversi drabi hemm dak tal-kriminalita’ organizzata Taljana u l-mod kif tul is-snin għerrqet fil-Mediterran mat-42 vapur bi skart tossiku u jew nukleari. L-impatt ta’ dan hu enormi.

Tajjeb li niftakru li madwar 60% tal-ilma li nixorbu jiġi mill-baħar. Il-baħar jipprovdi l-għejxien tas-sajjieda tagħna. Hu parti importanti ukoll mill-prodott turistiku ta’ Malta.

Ghalhekk hu xieraq li nagħtu iktar importanza lill-issues marittimi. Hi opportunita unika biex ikunu integrati flimkien il-politika ambjentali u l-politika ekonomika. B’dan il-mod pajjiżna jista’ jibbenefika bil-bosta minn dik li tissejjaħ il-blue economy.

Il-futur ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika

Dal-għodu ħarġet l-aħbar li l-Laqgħa Ġenerali Annwali ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika liema laqgħa kellha issir nhar is-Sibt li ġej, ġiet posposta.

L-aħbar ħarġet f’ċirkulari li bagħat lill-membri s-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ AD. Huwa ma tax biss l-aħbar. Ta ukoll ir-raġuni għal din id-deċiżjoni li ttieħdet mill-Kumitat Eżekuttiv ta’ AD nhar is-Sibt li għadda.

Id-deċiżjoni ittieħdet minħabba li ma daħlet l-ebda nomina għall-kariga ta’ Chairman ta’ AD sal-ħin tal-egħluq tan-nominazzjonijiet.

Uħud qed jistaqsu: kif, għaliex qed jiġri dan wara li AD kisbet l-aħjar riżultat f’elezzjoni ġenerali?

Dan il-kumment jeħtieġ tweġiba. Huwa veru li AD kwantittattivament kisbet l-aħjar riżultat f’elezzjoni ġenerali: 1.8% tal-voti validi jew 5506 voti. Kienet ukoll l-ewwel darba li f’ċirkustanzi ta’ bidla fil-Gvern AD ma naqqsitx fil-voti. Dan huwa ukoll sinjal pożittiv.

Wieħed iżda jrid iqis l-istampa kollha u ma jarax biss dawn il-1.8%.

1.8% kien ikun riżultat eċċellenti f’sitwazzjoni fejn il-partiti politiċi l-oħra jkunu ras imb’ras. Imma meta wieħed iqis li l-fuq minn 38,000 vot iċċaqalqu min-naħa għall-oħra  u minn dawn AD ħadet biss madwar 1,700 vot ir-riżultat miksub minn AD ma jibqax daqshekk eċċellenti.

Il-ħidma ta’ partit politiku ma issirx biss lejliet elezzjoni ġenerali. Issir matul kull jum tal-leġislatura għal ħames snin sħaħ.  Hemm min isegwi u jagħti każ ta’ dak kollu li jkun għaddej u jista’ japprezza kif kull wieħed minna li jagħżel li jimpenja ruħu f’Alternattiva Demokratika jrid jagħmel sagrifiċċji kbar biex dan l-impenn ikun jista’ jitwettaq. M’għandniex impjegati fuq min induru. Ma nitolbux donazzjonijiet lil ħadd. Ftit hemm li jagħtuna donazzjonijiet u kemm kemm iservu għall-ħidma li nagħmlu.

Kull wieħed minna mhux biss jaħdem fil-partit b’mod volontarju, talli huwa meħtieġ ukoll li naħdmu biex naqilgħu x’nieklu matul il-ġurnata.

Il-ħidma mhux żgħira li jirrikjedi anke partit ċkejken bħal AD kull ma jmur tagħmilha iktar difficli għal kull min jagħżel li jimpenja ruħu fil-partit li jlaħħaq ukoll mal-obbligi l-oħra tiegħu jew tagħha. Il-konsegwenza hi li inqas nies jinvolvu ruħhom u l-piz jaqa’ dejjem iktar fuq numru żgħir ta’ nies. Piz ikbar li mhux dejjem nifilħu għalih. Dan la huwa sewwa u l-anqas ma’ huwa aċċettabbli.

Fid-dawl ta’ dan kollu wieħed jista’ jifhem iktar għaliex mhux faċli li toħroġ għonqok, iktar u iktar meta r-riżultati li tara mhux dejjem jagħmlulek wisq kuraġġ.

Id-direzzjoni li ser tieħu AD jiddependi minn x’posizzjoni ser jieħdu dawk li jappoġġawha. Jekk ikun hemm iktar appoġġ li jinbidel f’impenn, il-futur hu wieħed sabiħ.  Min-naħa l-oħra jekk l-appoġġ jibqa’ wieħed ġeneralment passiv allura m’għandix idea fejn sejrin.

Greening the Constitution

Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party –  is in agreement that 50 years after its adoption Malta’s Constitution needs to be updated.  However such an exercise, as emphasised in AD’s 2013 electoral manifesto, should be carried out with the direct involvement of civil society. The Constitution belongs to all of us.

There are a number of issues which require careful consideration. In AD’s 2013 electoral manifesto at least fourteen such issues are identified. They vary in scope from electoral reform to widening the issues in respect of which discrimination is prohibited, by including protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. AD also proposes the introduction of a Constitutional provision in favour of a balanced budget, thereby ensuring that government is forced to discard budget deficits and consequently to control the spiralling public debt.

One very important issue is the need to entrench environmental rights and duties in the Constitution. The proposed Constitutional Convention, supported by AD, should aim at Greening the Constitution. That is, it should aim at addressing environmental rights and duties such that they are spelled out in unequivocal terms.  Environmental rights and duties should as a minimum be spelled out as clearly as property rights in the Constitution. They are worthy of protection just as the rights of individual persons.

Article 9 of the Constitution very briefly states that “The State shall safeguard the landscape and the historical and artistic patrimony of the nation.”  Further, in article 21 of the Constitution we are informed that this (and other safeguards) “shall not be enforceable in a Court” but that this (safeguard) shall be “fundamental to the governance of the country” and that it shall be the aim of the State to apply it in making laws.

It is not conducive to good governance to first declare adherence to specifc safeguards, but then specifically excluding the Courts from ensuring that such safeguards are being observed.

The strategy of announcing principles but then not providing the legislative framework for their implementation was also taken up in environmental legislation. In fact articles 3 and 4 of the 2010 Environment and Development Planning Act  announce a whole list of sound environmental principles. However  in article 5 of the same Act it is then stated that these cannot be enforced in a Court of Law!

When I had the opportunity of discussing the Environment and Development Planning Bill with Mario de Marco (then Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Tourism and the Environment) I had proposed on behalf of the Greens that the declarations  in articles 3 and 4 of the Bill should not be just guiding principles. They ought to be made enforceable by our Courts subject to the introduction of  a suitable transition. Unfortunately Dr de Marco did not take up the Greens proposal.

As things stand today, article 3 of the Environment and Development Planning Act announces very pompously that the government,  as well as every person in Malta, has the duty to protect the environment. Furthermore it is announced that we are duty bound to assist in the taking of preventive and remedial measures to protect the environment and manage resources in a sustainable manner.

Article 4 goes further:  it  states that government is responsible towards present and future generations.  It then goes on to list ten principles which should guide government in its endeavours.  Integrating environmental concerns in decisions on socio-economic and other policies is first on the list. Addressing pollution and environmental degradation through the implementation of the polluter pays principle and the precautionary principle follows immediately after.  Cooperation with other governments and entities enshrines the maxim of “think global, act local” as Malta both affects and is affected by environmental impacts wherever they occur.  The fourth guiding principle is the need to disseminate environmental information whilst the fifth one underlines the need of research as a basic requirement of sound environment policy.  The waste management hierarchy is referred to in the sixth principle followed immediately by underlining the requirement to safeguard biological diversity and combatting all forms of pollution.  Article 4 ends by emphasising that the environment is the common heritage and common concern of mankind and underlines the need to provide incentives leading to a higher level of environmental protection.

Proclaiming guiding principles in our Constitution and environmental legislation is not enough. Our Courts should be empowered in order that they are able to ensure that these principles are actually translated into concrete action.   Government should be compelled to act on the basis of Maltese legislation as otherwise it will only act on environmental issues when and if forced to by the European Union as was evidenced in the past nine years.

Greening the Constitution by extending existing environmental provisions and ensuring that they can be implemented will certainly be one of the objectives of the Greens in the forthcoming Constitutional Convention.

published in the Times of Malta 18 May 2013

ILLUM : nuqqas ta’ spazju ?

Fil-gazzetta Illum, ippubblikata illum il-Ħadd 12 ta’ Mejju 2013 ippubblikat kummenti għal mistoqsijiet li staqsiet lil diversi persuni dwar Joseph Muscat u Simon Busuttil.

Il-mistoqsijiet kienu dawn:

1. Kif tħares lejn l-ewwel 50 jum ta’ Joseph Muscat?
2. X’taħseb fuq l-għażla ta’ Simon Busuttil?

Jiena ġejt mitlub il-kummenti tiegħi li tajthom imma ma ġewx ippubblikati kif ippreżentajthom jiena.

Ma nafx jekk hux minħabba nuqqas ta’ spazju.

For the record il-kummenti tiegħi huma dawk riprodotti hawn taħt. Il-parti bl-aħmar tħalliet barra mill-pubblikazzjoni:

Dwar l-għażla ta’ Simon Busuttil bħala Kap tal-PN:

“Huwa biss iż-żmien li jagħtina parir dwar jekk l-elezzjoni ta’ Dr Simon Busuttil bħala Kap tal-PN iġibx bidla, kif ukoll x’tip ta’ bidla, fil-PN. Il-bidliet fil-PN għadhom għaddejjin u mhux magħruf x’ser tkun il-forma finali tagħhom.

Alternattiva Demokratika m’hiex ser toqgħod tispekula dwar x’jista’ jiġri.”

Dwar l-ewwel ħamsin jum tal-Gvern immexxi minn Joseph Muscat :

Fl-ewwel ħamsin jum il-Gvern ta’ Muscat għadu qiegħed jipprova jaġixxi ta’ Gvern, diversi drabi aġixxa ta’ partit politiku. F’ ta’ l-inqas erba’ sitwazzjonijiet aġixxa b’mod diviżiv meta kellu soluzzjonijiet alternattivi li long term kienu jagħtuh riżultati aħjar.

L-ewwel: il-grad ta’ Segretarju Permanenti fil-Ministeri jeżisti biex jassigura kontinwita’ b’mod partikolari meta jkun hemm bidla tal-Gvern. It-tneħħija tal-parti l-kbira tas-Segretarji Permanenti kien żball fl-ewwel ġranet tal-Gvern li seta ġie evitat. Il-parti l-kbira minnhom kienu ser jispiċċaw xorta matul it-18-il xahar li ġejjin, bl-eta. Li stenna ftit kienu jinbidlu xorta bil-kwiet probabilment fi żmien sena.

It-tieni : id-diskors li l-Gvern ħejja għall-President tar-Repubblika kien wieħed partiġġjan u ma għamel l-ebda ġid lill-kariga.

It-tielet: inevitabilment f’dawn il-ħamsin ġurnata saru ħafna ħatriet. Kien hemm diversi minnhom li kienu ta’ natura partiġjana, fl-istess stil tal-gvernijiet immexxija mill-PN.

Ir-raba’: il-ħatra ta’ Franco Debono bħala koordinatur tal-Konvenzjoni Kostituzzjonali kienet waħda diviżiva. Tali ħatra kella issir b’konsultazzjoni mas-socjeta ċivili.

Fost il-miżuri posittivi tal-Gvern hemm il-bidu tal-implementazzjoni tal-proposti elettorali dwar id-drittijiet tal-persuni LGBT  kif ukoll il-ftehim dwar il-kawża fil-Qorti Ewropea tad-Drittijiet tal-Bniedem minn Joanne Cassar liema ftehim ser iwassal għat-dritt ta’ persuna transgender li tiżżewweġ.  AD giet mistiedna u aċċettat li tipparteċipa fil-Kumitat Konsultattiv li qed iħejji l-proposti konkreti għad-drittijiet tal-persuni LGBT. Ġew nominati u diġa qed jieħdu sehem Angele Deguara u Collette Farrugia Bennett biex jirrapprezentaw lill-AD.

Fost il-miżuri negattivi hemm l-inkoraġġiment tal-kaċċa fir-rebbiegħa  u issa jidher li l-Gvern qed jikkunsidra li jesperimenta ukoll bl-insib minkejja li din hu pprojibit mid-Direttivi tal-Unjoni Ewropea kif ukoll skada il-perjodu transitorju stabilit mit-trattat ta’ adezjoni.

Il-gass għal Delimara

Il-gazzetti tal-lum, kif ukoll is-siti tal-aħbarijiet online jitkellmu dwar ir-respons internazzjonali għas-sejħa ta’ interess li għamel il-Gvern biex jibni power station li taħdem bil-gass kif ukoll biex eventwalment jaqleb għall-gass ukoll l-impjant tal-BWSC.

L-issues illum għadhom l-istess kif kienu waqt il-kampanja elettorali b’xi differenzi żgħar imma importanti.

L-ewwel punt importanti dejjem kien u għadu li l-gass iħammeġ inqas mill-heavy fuel oil li qed jintuża illum. Indubjament dan iwassal biex titjib il-kwalita’ tal-arja fl-inħawi madwar Delimara. Kemm ser jiswa’ l-gass u x’garanzija ta’ prezzijiet jista’ jkun hemm? X’joffri is-suq?

Waqt il-kampanja elettorali il-Partit Laburista kien qalilna li is-suq joffri garanzija ta’ provista’ ta’ għaxar snin liema garanzija tfisser prezz fiss għal għaxar snin. Imma fis-sejħa li ħarġet dawn l-għaxar snin jidher li diġa niżlu għal ħames snin. Jiġifieri diġa hu ċar li ma jistax ikun hemm garanzija ta’ prezz u ta’ provista għal 10 snin. Jekk il-proposti sottomessi l-bierah jindirizzawx din l-issue jew le għad irridu naraw. Waqt il-kampanja elettorali, xahrejn ilu, diġa kien jidher li kien ser ikun diffiċli li jkun hemm garanzija ta’ prezz u provista għal iktar minn tlett snin.

Forsi tgħiduli li fin-negozju kollox possibli sakemm tħallas! Huwa veru, imma għad irridu naraw kif dan kollu ser ikun rifless fin-nefqa u fl-aħħar fil-prezzijiet. Għax il-problema qatt ma kienet dwar jekk hux possibli li jkun hemm impjant li jaħdem bil-gass imma kif dan ser ikun rifless fil-prezzijiet tal-elettriku ġġenerat.

Waqt il-kampanja, għan-nom ta’ Alternattiva Demorkatika bl-iktar mod ċar kemm jiena kif ukoll kelliema oħra, għidna li l-proposta Laburista għall-power station li taħdem bil-gass tista’ tkun proposta tajba. Iżda l-informazzjoni dakinnhar biex issostni l-proposta Laburista kienet fjakka. Għadha fjakka sal-lum.

Kien hemm u għad hemm xi oqsma li ma kienux ċari.

L-ewwel: kemm hu possibli li proġett ta’ din l-entita’ jitlesta f’sentejn? It-tieni: bl-ispejjes meħtieġa kemm hu fattibbli dak li qed jgħid il-Labour Party li jorħsu l-kontijiet?  It-tielet: x’ispejjes ittieħdu in konsiderazzjoni biex il-Labour Party wasal għall-konklużjonijiet tiegħu?

Il-Labour Party waqt il-kampanja elettorali qal li kellu studji dettaljati lesti. Kellu ukoll konsulenti, mingħalija Daniżi, li qalu illi tali studji kienu jeżistu u li l-proposti kienu fattibbli.

Imma dokumenti li jissostanzjaw dak li qal il-Labour Party qatt ma ġew ippubblikati. L-iskuża dejjem kienet waħda ta’ sensittivita’ kummerċjali. Li il-PL ma riedx jikxef idejh. It-trasparenza a jidhirx li hi l-forte tal-Labour!

Ħlief ismijiet ta’ ditti rinomati s’issa m’għandniex. Dawn l-ismijiet ifissru li dawn id-ditti bħax-Shell, Gazprom, Daewoo, Edison …………… huma interessati għax f’dan l-istadju jaħsbu li hi proposta li minnha jistgħu jagħmlu biċċa business tajba. Issa jekk dan hux fl-interess ta’ Malta ukoll għad irridu naraw.

 

Mill-Manifest Elettorali ta’ AD dwar bidliet fil-Kostituzzjoni : (14) Lingwa tas-sinjali

(14) Lingwa tas-sinjali

Il-lingwa tas-sinjali bil-Malti għandha tiġi rikonoxxuta mill-Gvern bħala lingwa ufficjali.

(silta mill-Kapitlu Numru 9 tal-Programm Elettorali ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika)

Mill-Manifest Elettorali ta’ AD dwar bidliet fil-Kostituzzjoni :(13) Reviżjoni tal-artiklu 2 tal-Kostituzzjoni

(13) Reviżjoni tal-artiklu 2 tal-Kostituzzjoni

L-Artikolu 2 tal-Kostituzzjoni għandu jiġi rivedut . L-ewwel, billi jiġi ddikjarat, minflok li r-reliġjon ta’ Malta hija r-reliġjon Kattolika Rumana, li l-istat jirrikonoxxi kull reliġjon li hija kompatibbli ma’ soċjetà demokratika u pluralista. It-tieni, li ma jkunx meħtieġ it-tagħlim obbligatorju tar-reliġjon fl-iskejjel.

(silta mill-Kapitlu Numru 6 tal-Programm Elettorali ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika)

The Foreign Minister & the Ministerial Code of Ethics

Dr George Vella, Foreign Minister, in reply to Ivan Camilleri on today’s Times of Malta makes a valid point as to why, after being appointed a Cabinet Minister, he needs a transition period relative to the practicing of his profession as a medical doctor.

Ivan Camilleri describes Dr Vella as being “angry” at what he perceived as a “witch-hunt” in respect of members of the Cabinet still practising their profession.

Dr Vella has in fact repeated what former Health Minister Dr Joseph Cassar stated last week that in respect of patients who have been under his care for a number of years it would be extremely insensitive for him to withdraw abruptly from caring for them until they have had adequate time for them to identify an alternative professional who could take over their care.

This could easily have been solved by an immediate amendment to the Ministerial Code of Ethics through considering the possibility of utilising a suitable and reasonable transition period at the end of which medical doctors who are also members of Cabinet would be expected to cease practicing their profession altogether.

Establishment of such a transition period and subject to the medical doctor not being remunerated would have been a very reasonable  solution to the current impasse.

It however leaves unaddressed the general problem of Members of Parliament who still consider their parliamentary duties as being of a part-time nature. AD considers that it is high time that this issue is also addressed.

Parliament, AD states in its March 2013 electoral manifesto, should become a professional institution made up of full-time parliamentarians. This would assist MPs in fullfilling their Parliamentary duties much better than they are at present and could also possibly lead to Parliament functioning in a more family-friendly manner. [a very valid point made recently by new Labour MP Deborah Schembri]

An added benefit of a Parliament made up of full-time Members of Parliament would mean that by the time an MP (who is also a professional) is appointed as a Minister or Parliamentary Secretary he would have been weaned off his private practice. He/she would be used to it and so would his/her patients.

Mill-Manifest Elettorali ta’ AD dwar bidliet fil-Kostituzzjoni: (12) Il-ħatra tal-ġudikatura

 (12) Il-ħatra tal-ġudikatura

L-imħallfin u l-maġistrati m’għandhomx jibqgħu jinħatru mill-gvern iżda mill-President tar-Repubblika u soġġetti għal konferma mill-Parlament. Dan jiżgura sistema ta’ checks and balances bejn is-setgħa eżekuttiva (eżerċitata f’dan il-każ mill-President tar-Repubblika) u l-leġiżlatura.

(silta mill-Kapitlu Numru 6 tal-Programm Elettorali ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika)

Mill-Manifest Elettorali ta’ AD dwar bidliet fil-Kostituzzjoni: (11) Orientazzjoni sesswali

(11) Orientazzjoni sesswali

Il-projbizzjoni tad-diskriminazzjoni skont is-sess għandha titwessa’ biex tkopri d-diskriminazzjoni skont l-orjentazzjoni sesswali.

 (silta mill-Kapitlu Numru 6 tal-Programm Elettorali ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika)