Appointments such as those of the Ombudsman and the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life should not be used for political horse-trading, ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said Saturday.

It is about time that our institutions are safeguarded in practice and not just in empty words, he said when addressing the media.

Cacopardo highlighted the publication of three reports earlier this week by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) dealing with various aspects of the integrity of public life in Malta. The first report emphasized on the need to reinforce existing legislation while the second considered the changes required for the Office of the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life to become more effective. The third report lists a number of recommendations to regulate lobbying.

While lobbying is part of the democratic process ADPD has repeatedly insisted that this should be carried out in a transparent manner. Even though the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life had published a consultation paper, two years down the line nothing has yet been done. And this is no coincidence – both parties in parliament are not interested, he said.

In fact, among the three OECD reports’ 71 recommendations there are many that have been present in the local public debate about the need for transparency, accountability and good governance for a considerable time.

The Ombudsman, the Auditor General and the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life are doing sterling work that is many a time obstructed whenever they seek information in the course of their duties to examine issues at hand.

“Unfortunately, having the necessary laws and roles in place to strengthen integrity in public life is not enough if it is not matched by the political will to let them carry out their work in practice. We must strive for a serious way of doing politics every day,” concluded Cacopardo.