‘Not the right time for parliament to stop working’
Repubblika has slammed the government for adjourning parliament a week early, stating now is not the time for parliament to have an “extensive vacation”.
Parliament was set to adjourn on May 22, yet Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri adjourned the House on Wednesday, saying it will meet again on June 10 – the Monday after the EU and local council elections.
In a statement yesterday, the rule of law NGO said currently the courts are facing a “delicate and potentially dangerous time”, as they are examining alleged criminal behaviour of current and former high-ranking government officials.
“At the same time, they are under obscene attacks from our prime minister and government,” the NGO said.
“It is the duty of the third branch – parliament – to watch over the behaviour of the government and to take all the necessary measures to ensure that the government allows the institutions to work and protects them from threats.”
The NGO also raised its concerns about the “radicalised and threatening speech” from former prime minister Joseph Muscat who is using his political power to discredit and intimidate the courts and is supported by Prime Minister Robert Abela.
“Robert Abela is shutting up the parliamentarians, especially those from his party, who out of loyalty to democracy, might dare to express some doubt about his conduct,” the NGO said.
“We express our condemnation that at this very delicate time, we do not even have a parliament to deliberate on how the rule of law should be protected in our country.”