A week ago, during a short break from a very "fruitful" meeting of the Labour Party Parliamentary Group, Joseph Muscat, the Prime Minister tweeted a selfie. The selfie included a number of hangers-on who promptly re-tweeted Joseph's selfie, announcing to one and all that the Labour Party Parliamentary Group was meeting at Girgenti, the Prime Minister's official residence in the countryside.

In the tweeted selfie, standing in the front row, perched between Planning Parliamentary Secretary Deborah Schembri and Civil Rights Minister Helena Dalli stands Justice Minister Owen Bonnici, the Cabinet member who around 18 months ago piloted the 'Financing of Political Parties Act' through Parliament. Throughout the past months, the Honourable Owen Bonnici rightly proclaimed this as a milestone. How come his own government and his own political party ignored the implementation of this milestone?

It seems that Joseph, the tweeter from Girgenti, was either not properly advised of the implications of this landmark legislation or else ignored completely the advice he received.

On Tuesday I visited the offices of the Electoral Commission and met Joseph Church, the Chief Electoral Commissioner. Together with my colleague Arnold Cassola, I drew the attention of Mr Church to the fact that the Parliamentary Labour Party was making use of government property contrary to the provisions of the Financing of Political Parties Act. On behalf of Alternattiva Demokratika - The Green Party in Malta, we requested that Joseph Muscat and his Labour Party be investigated for acting against the provisions of this landmark legislation: Joseph Muscat for permitting the use of Girgenti Palace and the Labour Party for accepting to use it as a venue for one of the meetings of its Parliamentary Group.

As I have already explained during a press conference held after the meeting with the Chief Electoral Commissioner, as well as in the daily edition of this newspaper ["Girgenti: demarcation line between party and state", TMI, 23 February] the use of the Girgenti Palace is deemed to be a donation, which in terms of article 34 of the Financing of Political Parties Act is not permissible to be received by a political party from the state. Joseph Muscat the Prime Minister could not grant such a donation, and Joseph Muscat the Leader of the Labour Party could not accept it.

Unfortunately, this incident communicated by tweet sends a very clear and negative message: that Joseph Muscat and his Labour Party consider themselves to be above the law. The law which they rightly described as being a "landmark legislation" was intended to apply to one and all. Joseph Muscat and his Labour Party seem to think otherwise. In fact, the Labour Party is not even registered as a political party as the Electoral Commission, some months back, considered that it does not satisfy the conditions laid down in the legislation.

Some may consider that Alternattiva Demokratika is splitting hairs when raising the matter. I beg to differ, as a very basic principle is at stake: the demarcation line separating the government from the governing political party. This is what lies at the core of the complaint submitted by the Greens to the Chief Electoral Commissioner for an investigation in terms of the provisions of the Financing of Political Parties Act.  

I am informed that the Electoral Commission will be meeting next Wednesday when it is expected to consider the request to investigate Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his political party for ignoring the provisions of the Financing of Political Parties Act. It is the moment of truth for the Electoral Commission. Eight out of nine of its members are political appointees: four nominated by the Prime Minister and another four nominated by the Leader of the Opposition. The ninth member of the Commission is the chairman, a senior civil servant.

It is time for all nine members of the Electoral Commission to stand up and be counted. As a constitutional body, it is the Commission's duty to defend the values of a modern day parliamentary democracy. Whether it will do so is anybody's guess. I am definitely not holding my breath.

[email protected] http://carmelcacopardo.wordpress.com

Mr Cacopardo is an architect and civil engineer, and Deputy Chairman of Alternattiva Demokratika -The Green Party in Malta.