Debate on changes to Maltese Language Council composition postponed

Government has no agenda to weaken the Maltese Language Council or to appoint political puppets who would promote some government hidden agenda, according to Education Minister Bartolo.

Bartolo, who was speaking on Wednesday in a meeting of the parliamentary committee for the consideration of bills which was discussing changes to the Maltese Language Act, said that he had too much respect for the Council and its work to want to weaken it in any form.

The committee agreed to postpone to next week its discussion on Articles 2, 4 and 6 of the Act so that the minister would have time to consider amendments which the opposition presented at the beginning of the meeting.

The three articles are the most contentious, dealing with the composition of the Maltese Language Council, and have attracted criticism from the Nationalist Party (PN), as well as a number of groups and entities.

Opposition MP George Pullicino said that, as proposed, the council would end up with only six academics on a board of 13 members, contrary to the current seven academic representives on the existing board of 11 members.

He also said the two representatives of the council's technical commissions should retain their seat on the council.

PN MP Francis Zammit Dimech said the oppoosition had no problem with expanding the council and adding the number of representatives, but insisted that the commission's representatives should be included.

It would therefore be worth considering increasing the number of members to 15 instead of 13, as proposed.

Ray Fabri of the Linguistics Institute and current president of the Council, said the role of the technical commissions should not be diminished and that the commissions already included a broadcasting committee and an interpretation and translation committee.