The Standards Commissioner for Public Life should be selected by public call, the NGO Repubblika said on Tuesday.
Repubblika said that the process of choosing who will replace George Hyzler in the role of Standards Commissioner must be truly transparent.
Hyzler had been nominated by the government to join the European Court of Auditors. Hyzler is expected to go before the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee on 21 April to be questioned by MEPs sitting on that committee. The committee will make its recommendations to the EU Parliament, which in turn will make its recommendations to the EU Council. If he passes the steps, he will join the European Court of Auditors.
Hyzler was Malta’s first Standards Commissioner, having been appointed in October 2018. Hyzler had investigated many MPs over ethics breaches, having found a number of past government ministers in breach of ethics, including former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Minister Carmelo Abela, former Minister Justyne Caruana and former Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar
“The appointment of the new Standards Commissioner should not be made behind closed doors, with agreement between politicians on who they want as Commissioner. The Commissioner is a necessary institution to monitor and act independently of politicians,” Repubblika said.
Repubblika said that Malta should adopt the model of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom as an example for the appointment.
The model calls for a public call which is open to people with experience in promoting and maintaining of the standards, and protection of vulnerable persons, particularly in the abuse of power. The promotion of emancipation and liberation of vulnerable persons should also be sought in the process of choosing the Commissioner, it said.
The eligible persons would then be interviewed by the Selection Committee, which would be led by two MPs from either side of the house, an expert in human resources appointed outside of the Parliament, and the Clerk of the House who presides over the process.
The recommendations of the Selection Committee would then be given to the Speaker who would submit them to the House, to formalize the appointment of the selected person, Repubblika said.
The Commissioner is appointed for five years on a full-time basis and is not eligible for re-appointment, it said.
Repubblika said it considers it crucial to change the composition of the Committee in order to put an end to politicians covering up their friends’ unethical behaviour.
Repubblika appealed for the government to commence the immediate process of public consultation for the appointment of the new Commissioner, saying that the government should uphold its promise of transparency and accountability in public life.