Debating time in Parliament should be more efficient and more changes must be made in order to enhance the female representative in Parliament, Speaker Anglu Farrugia said on Monday.
He was speaking at the annual Sette Giugno commemoration in St George’s Square, Valletta.
With regards to the efficiency in Parliament, Farrugia said that “I have no doubt that arguments can be made in 20 minuted or less, we have to work in a productive manner.”
Moving on to Parliamentary session times, Farrugia said “we need to revisit the time at which Parliament meets in order to accommodate the professional, family and personal needs of its members. This needs to form part of the discussions that needs to be given priority by the Members of Parliament.”
103 years after the events took place in Valletta, Malta closes its first month into the 14th legislature of Parliament’s history. This legislature also boasts the biggest ever parliamentary group with 79 members, 22 of which are female and almost half of the group being elected for the first time.
Speaking on the historic events of Sette Giugno, Farrugia said that Maltese resilience has always helped to push the country forward.
Farrugia said that “The Sette Giugno events are symbolic of massive protests in Valletta due to economic problems this country was facing, primarily the high cost of bread which led to hunger. We lived in a time where the constitution in force limited the Maltese in the running of their own country.”
This prompted Farrugia to speak about the citizen’s right of reply mechanism, which he wants to implement. This mechanism provides the opportunity for people to answer on what has been said about them in Parliament and Farrugia said that although parliamentary privilege has to be maintained, it must not be abused.”
The economic scenario led to four people being shot while protesting in a crowd. At the time, 64 British soldiers were sent to disperse the crowds and ended up using lethal force. “Records show that not only Manwel Attard, Karmnu Abela, Guze Bajada and Wenzu Dyer died on that day. 19 people in total either succumbed to their injuries or suffered serious injuries that day.”
Among one of the people who died was a father who went to Valletta looking for his son, was arrested by the British soldiers and while resisting arrest was injured grievously by a bayonet. The youngest victim of the attacks was 15 years old.
“The events of Sette Guigno stand as a staple that as Maltese we want to make progress, we want a better life. Thanks to these events, two years later the Maltese Government was enacted, and Malta moved leaps and bounds ever since by giving women the right to vote and then allowing them to contest elections,” Farrugia said.