Opposition Leader Alfred Sant wrote to the Ombudsman, Dr Joseph Said Pullicino, on Monday, in reply to a proposal by the Ombudsman that the administrative and investigative tools needed for the work of national institutions that protected human rights could be brought closer to the services of the Ombudsman’s office.

In the letter released to the media by the Office of the Opposition Leader, Dr Sant wrote that he understood that the Ombudsman’s proposal was made in the light of the difficulties that had arisen at the Malta Environment and Planning Authority because of the appointment of staff for Mepa’s internal auditor.

The opposition agreed in principle that, wherever practicable, there should be such administrative convergence with the Office of the Ombudsman. This would ensure higher efficiency in the protection of citizens’ rights. The opposition had already made proposals in this regard, in Labour’s Plan for a New Beginning, where the Commissioner for Children was concerned.

But, Dr Sant added, there should be a clear distinction between independent institutions set up by law, such as the Commissioner for Children, and offices set up within state agencies as mechanisms for handling complaints. It made sense for institutions falling under the first category to have administrative convergence with the services of the Ombudsman, but there were reservations for the second kind relating to whether such a procedure would weaken the levels of remedy citizens would have for injustices.

It would also not be appropriate to introduce a change as proposed by the Ombudsman, no matter how good it was for independent institutions, apparently to solve a problem for a government authority that was showing itself incapable of resolving its internal affairs according to the principles of good governance.

Dr Sant also included observations giving the reasons in detail that motivated his reply.