The Nationalist Party today presented a judicial protest against the Electoral Commission, Identity Malta and Justice Minister Owen Bonnici, claiming that the details of foreigners being granted Maltese citizenship are not being passed on to the Electoral Commission.
Addressing the media, PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami said it is unacceptable that no information about people being granted Maltese citizenship together with the right to vote is being given to the Electoral Commission.
This is in breach of the law, he said, because this information should be public. He said that Identity Malta is an entity that has been involved in corrupt cases, with one of its employees being taken to court.
This scandal had been uncovered by the PN through Elcom. "The government promised transparency, but we are not getting it. More than this, what is happening is in breach of the Constitution as people are being given the right to vote without having the requisites to do so."
Shadow Minister for Justice Jason Azzopardi said that once again, Minister Owen Bonnici is being accused of withholding information that should be made public. "Identity Malta falls directly under Dr Bonnici's remit and he should make sure that the house is in order."
Karol Aquilina insisted that the Electoral Commission should have the right to access the information of those listed in the electoral registry and eligible to vote.
The judicial protest was presented by the PN Secretary General Rosette Thake and by the Executive Committee President Ann Fenech.
Ministry of Justice reacts
In a reaction, the Ministry of Justice has issued a statement saying that the attacks by the Nationalist Party are caused by the fact that the Opposition cannot look and admire the success registered in the country thanks to the Citizenship Scheme.
"When the government announced that the scheme brought about some €300 million in investment, the PN has restarted its aggressive attacks."
"First, PN MP Jason Azzopardi comes up with a story that Minister Owen Bonnici lied in Parliament, and now he is claiming that through this scheme, the government is breaching the constitution."
The Ministry insisted that the names of those participating in the scheme are being published in the government gazette and therefore, claims of secrecy are unfounded.
It said that the talks between the Ministry and the Electoral Commission regarding the issues related to voting rights are at an advanced stage. "The PN is only interested in going back in time to when investment was at a standstill."