Fairer society needs anti-discrimination overhaul, Aditus says in 37-point manifesto

Human rights NGO aditus is calling on political parties to decriminalise abortion and put into place a full-time parliament, among 37 proposals for the 2022 elections.

The NGO presented a 28-page report, ‘Elections 2022: Creating a More Just Society’, that calls for a campaign based on “democratic ideas, vision and human dignity and less on antagonism, harassment and cronyism.”

Amongst the proposals is a call to candidates to pledge support to change the law that makes the use of false documents by refugees fleeing persecution to seek safety, illegal.

The NGO said parties should commit to in a regularisation scheme for migrants who have not been returned to their countries of origin and who, whilst in Malta, have made the country their home.

It said that a long-term asylum management strategy should be formulated in close cooperation with civil society organisations.

The NGO also called for parties to acknowledge that Libya was not safe for migrants and refugees and commit to ensuring that persons in distress in Malta’s search and rescues zone will be swiftly rescued and allowed to disembark.

Party donations should be disclosed

The NGO said that donations made to parties and to entities they own should be made subject to public disclosure obligations.

Parties should also refrain from engaging in any activity that may be interpreted as an offer in exchange for a personal vote.

Persons with disabilities should enjoy full and equal access to voting in a manner that respects their dignity.

And records of complaints to and decisions of the Electoral Commission should be promptly published.

Aditus said parties should also commit to a thorough and inclusive constitutional reform process as well as establish an action plan with clear responsibilities and timelines for implementing the outstanding recommendations made by the Venice Commission, the European Commission’s Rule of Law report and the Daphne Caruana Galizia Inquiry Report.

Parties should also commit to tabling anti-discrimination legislation that protects all persons in all spheres of life.

Revise the Maltese Citizenship Act 

The NGO said that the parties should commit to revising the Maltese Citizenship Act to clarify access to nationality and introduce procedural guarantees.

They called for the protection of the status of non-Maltese children who have lived in Malta for all or most of their lives and commit to addressing the gender imbalance in specific sectors, such as education and conduct a thorough review of all textbooks to combat stereotyping.

The NGO also said parties should remove discriminatory barriers preventing LGBTIQ+ persons from donating blood.