President urges PL, PN to ‘rise above partisanship’ in constitution debate

President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca has urged the Labour and Nationalist parties to “rise above partisanship” ahead of a proposed debate to reform the Constitution.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition leader Simon Busuttil have both declared themselves in favour of constitutional reform. However, the process has stalled due to disagreement over who should chair the reform committee. Muscat wants it to be chaired by Law Commissioner and former rebel Nationalist MP Franco Debono, while Busuttil has insisted that it be chaired by the President as head of state.

Speaking during an interview on Ghandi Xi Nghid, Coleiro Preca reiterated her stance in favour of constitutional reform, but refused to get dragged into the debate over who should be its chairperson.

When asked by host Andrew Azzopardi about Busuttil’s proposal, she called on the two major political parties to reach an agreement for the sake of constitutional reform.

“The Constitution is our principal democratic tool but it must be updated so as to be rendered relevant to our current society,” she said. “I urge our political parties to rise above partisanship and address this need for reform.” 

‘Alternatives to Paceville needed for minors’

The President expressed her worry at the congregation of children as young as 13 on the streets of Paceville in the early hours of the morning.

“Instead of sleeping at night, they are seeking entertainment that is outside their age range,” she said. “However, youths tell me that no entertainment alternatives exist to Paceville – a problem that we must address.”

When questioned about the infamous supercar crash during October’s Paqpaqli ghall-Istriny charity event, Coleiro Preca said that it wouldn’t be right to go public with her opinions prior to the conclusion of an ongoing magisterial inquiry.

“I hope that the inquiry will be published, as the people deserve to know exactly what went wrong and how such situations can be avoided in the future.” 

‘Verbal bullying prevalent in Malta’

Coleiro Preca  also warned that verbal bullying is prevalent in Malta and appealed to politicians and citizens alike to adopt a more “mature” style of communication.

“Children and youths often tell me of their concern about ongoing global conflicts, and in the same breath say that Maltese people, including our political leaders, are constantly infighting,” she said. “On a psychological level, they feel like bystanders of global conflicts, but don’t find any peace of mind on a local level.

“Why shouldn’t we progress from this style of communication, respect other people’s opinions and argue with dignity?” 

She said that Malta can use its small size and intertwined human networks to its advantage to create a peaceful society that could serve as a “global model”.

“What peace of mind our youth will have then; how they will be able to fulfill their personal and societal aspirations.”

Coleiro Preca expressed her disappointment at the stagnation of female involvement in public life in the past 40 years, calling for an urgent increase in such female participation.  

“There are only seven women female MPs,” she said, miscalculating the number by two. “Women are participating in several sectors of life, but they are still an absolute minority in Parliament where decisions on the way the country is run are made.”