“The commemoration of the Sette Giugno uprising in 1919 should stir up our patriotism for what was achieved through the bloodshed 86 years ago,” said the speaker of the House of Representatives Anton Tabone yesterday, as he invited the public to consider the parliamentary reforms that ensued following the events of 7 June 1919.

Mr Tabone was speaking at the celebrations organised in commemoration of Sette Giugno, when four Maltese lost their lives in the fight for autonomy. “These four simple honest workers’ names should always be remembered,” said Mr Tabone. He explained that Manwel Attard and Guzeppi Bajjada, a Gozitan man, were shot in Old Bakery Street while Wenzu Dyer was killed in the Main Guard. Karmenu Abela was injured opposite the Royal Theatre and died a few days later.

The story reached its peak on 7 June 1919 and can be considered as the first step towards the constitutional development of Malta, the speaker continued. “This bloodshed was the catalyst for the first Legislative Assembly, elected by the people and held in 1921,” he continued.

He reminded the gathering in St George’s Square in Valletta that the Sette Giungno incidents were the result of people being burdened by a social, political and economic crisis. “It was an expression of the feelings that had been brewing within the hearts of the people,” stressed Mr Tabone.

In light of the first assembly held in 1921, the commemoration of Sette Giugno events should be dedicated to the Maltese Parliament, the authentic expression of democracy in Malta that was spawned from this very first meeting so many years ago, he pointed out.

“The parliament is currently in the early stages of its third generation – from 1921 until independence in 1964, becoming a republic in 1974 and from then until Malta’s EU membership,” Mr Tabone explained.

Now, the Maltese parliament is in the second year of this third phase and the need for efficient structures to encourage specialised parliamentary development is being felt all the more. The parliament’s new role is being defined as it is in its formative stage, said the speaker.

The need for reform within the parliament has always been felt and the six permanent committees set up 10 years ago were a step forward in this respect. The committee meetings have seen these structures gaining strength, he added.

Mr Tabone mentioned new functions assigned to the committees, such as the scrutinising of EU documents by the Foreign and European Affairs Committee. All the work being done by the committees calls for the running of parliament to be urgently updated. “If this is not done, the work of the parliament will be adversely affected,” said the speaker.

The international dimension of the Maltese parliament is very relevant at this point in time and must be maintained. Mr Tabone said parliamentary diplomacy is the best way for this to come about and for democracy to be safeguarded, since it allows for the exchange of ideas and experiences.

Malta’s EU membership has given the country responsibilities that cannot be ignored and parliament a mission to achieve. Moreover, its initiative, both on a bilateral and multilateral level, must be strengthened and encouraged, he said.

Mr Tabone noted that the Ombudsman Office and General Auditor are completely autonomous, although these answer to parliament since its administration is dependent on public service. This anomaly must be remedied, he stressed. In every other European countries, the autonomy of the national parliament is guaranteed so it can serve and carry out its duties while exercising transparency.

The speaker also spoke of the need to establish a parliamentary service that is separate from the public service as it is known today. “This would be responsible for providing the parliament with the support it needs to carry out its duties,” he said.

Mr Tabone requested that a report on the subject as well as a bill of law be drawn up so that the parliamentary service may be set up, in order for parliament to gain autonomy as soon as possible. “Ideally, the service would report to one of the permanent committees,” he continued. “As a result, parliament would be free, in its administrative and logistical operations, to better fulfil its role within the Constitution,” added Mr Tabone.

The speaker also wondered whether the time had come for MPs to be solely dedicated to parliamentary work, just as their EU counterparts. “The proposed changes are far-reaching and approval from both sides of the House is needed in order for such changes to be carried out,” he said.

Parliament cannot remain stagnant as it moves through its third generation, or it will not be able to deal with its future challenges. Mr Tabone concluded by saying that the commemoration of the Sette Giugno events invites the public to cast a critical eye on the institutions on which Malta’s parliamentary democracy depends.