The Nationalist Party has blasted the government for appointing the ‘Technical Committee for the Advancement of Representative Democracy’ without first consulting it.

The PN said it had only found out about the newly set up committee from Wednesday’s edition of the government gazette.

The committee, appointed by Parliamentary Secretary Julia Farrugia, is chaired by Professor Carmen Sammut. Its members are Jonathan Attard, Frank Bezzina, Josianne Cutajar, Lara Dimitrijevic, Renee Laiviera, Robert Musumeci and Lorraine Spiteri.

The list of members includes people who have positions of trust at the Office of the Prime Minister, Labour candidates and other individuals who are close to the PL, the PN pointed out.

The PN said the appointment of this technical committee shows how representative democracy for this administration only involves those who represent the government.

The party said strong representative democracy should involve people from different sectors of society who hold differing political views, including from the Opposition.

PN MP Karol Aquilina, who signed the PN press release, called on the government to suspend the committee and launch a consultation process with the Opposition and civil society.