Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition Leader Alex Borg have agreed to meet to continue discussing the appointment of a new Chief Justice.
The Prime Minister said on Thursday evening that he was going to ask the Opposition Leader for a meeting to be held today, to which Borg later confirmed that he accepted. This development occurred after both Abela and Borg held separate meetings with President Myriam Spiteri Debono.
In a statement on Thursday night, the President's Office referred to the meetings she held with both Abela and Borg.
"In the meeting with the Prime Minister, who was accompanied by Justice Minister Jonathan Attard, the Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to meet with the Opposition Leader with the aim of reaching an agreement on the appointment of a Chief Justice. Earlier in the same day, the Leader of the Opposition, through a telephone call, communicated his wish to the President that the President be present in meetings between the parties on the matter."
"The President stresses that this is a matter that depends on a vote in the House of Representatives, and after speaking with the Prime Minister as well as the Leader of the Opposition, the President expresses her conviction that the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition have the necessary wisdom to reach an agreement in the interest of the Courts and the Administration of Justice, the Rule of Law, the State and above all our people," the Office of the President said.
Speaking to the press after his meeting, Prime Minister Abela said that the President "said what the Constitution says," that the appointment of the Chief Justice should only be discussed by members of Parliament, adding that this is how the President interpreted the Constitution. He said that her decision is that she would not be participating in those discussions, but said she appealed for common sense and for the continuation of discussions.
Abela said that he would be asking the Opposition Leader to meet on Friday to continue with the discussion process, with the aim of reaching consensus on the name of a person to occupy the role of Chief Justice. The Prime Minister mentioned having been able to achieve a unanimous vote for the appointment of a Chief Justice in 2020 despite not requiring a two-thirds majority at the time. "I don't see why we wouldn't reach that goal for this appointment."
Abela also said that he and Justice Minister Jonathan Attard thanked the President for her intervention a day earlier, on Wednesday, with the Opposition Leader "in order to avoid a Constitutional Crisis, in light of the Opposition originally on Tuesday objecting to vote on the motion for the appointment of a chief justice." He said that the President helped change that decision.
A vote on Wednesday saw the PN parliamentary group block Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera from being appointed as Malta's next Chief Justice. The motion to appoint her, presented by the Prime Minister, failed to reach the required two-thirds parliamentary majority of 53 votes in favour. The debate in Parliament was heated, and saw many political jabs made between the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader towards each other. The no vote is understood to have triggered a clause in the Constitution which meant that the current Chief Justice could stay on in his role until a person is chosen.
Borg met with the President on Thursday evening after Abela did. "She showed me the importance of continuing discussing between ourselves, and not with the imposition of one side," he said. Borg said that the Prime Minister called his office and gave him an appointment to meet and continue discussing the appointment on Friday. Borg said that the President stressed the need for agreement on a nomination. "It cannot be imposed by only one side," he said. Borg said the Constitution is clear that if there is no agreement then they will not move forward. "Tomorrow we will continue discussing and hopefully we will reach agreement on a name of a person to occupy the role of Chief Justice."
Asked whether she said she would not be involved in these discussions, Borg said that "if she was not involved, she would not have called for us." He said that earlier in the day he had asked her to intervene. "She called for the Prime Minister, and she called for me, and the Prime Minister called my office with an appointment for discussions to continue."
Earlier in the day, the PN Leader said that he was taking the step of asking for the President's involvement in light of "the many false statements that have been made regarding communication between himself and the Prime Minister," a statement by the PN read. "He said the process has lost its importance and credibility because it is no longer about who will be Chief Justice, but about whether the Maltese people can trust the Prime Minister in the way he conducts himself," the PN said.
The Prime Minister said on Thursday evening that he was going to ask the Opposition Leader for a meeting to be held today, to which Borg later confirmed that he accepted. This development occurred after both Abela and Borg held separate meetings with President Myriam Spiteri Debono.
In a statement on Thursday night, the President's Office referred to the meetings she held with both Abela and Borg.
"In the meeting with the Prime Minister, who was accompanied by Justice Minister Jonathan Attard, the Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to meet with the Opposition Leader with the aim of reaching an agreement on the appointment of a Chief Justice. Earlier in the same day, the Leader of the Opposition, through a telephone call, communicated his wish to the President that the President be present in meetings between the parties on the matter."
"The President stresses that this is a matter that depends on a vote in the House of Representatives, and after speaking with the Prime Minister as well as the Leader of the Opposition, the President expresses her conviction that the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition have the necessary wisdom to reach an agreement in the interest of the Courts and the Administration of Justice, the Rule of Law, the State and above all our people," the Office of the President said.
Speaking to the press after his meeting, Prime Minister Abela said that the President "said what the Constitution says," that the appointment of the Chief Justice should only be discussed by members of Parliament, adding that this is how the President interpreted the Constitution. He said that her decision is that she would not be participating in those discussions, but said she appealed for common sense and for the continuation of discussions.
Abela said that he would be asking the Opposition Leader to meet on Friday to continue with the discussion process, with the aim of reaching consensus on the name of a person to occupy the role of Chief Justice. The Prime Minister mentioned having been able to achieve a unanimous vote for the appointment of a Chief Justice in 2020 despite not requiring a two-thirds majority at the time. "I don't see why we wouldn't reach that goal for this appointment."
Abela also said that he and Justice Minister Jonathan Attard thanked the President for her intervention a day earlier, on Wednesday, with the Opposition Leader "in order to avoid a Constitutional Crisis, in light of the Opposition originally on Tuesday objecting to vote on the motion for the appointment of a chief justice." He said that the President helped change that decision.
A vote on Wednesday saw the PN parliamentary group block Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera from being appointed as Malta's next Chief Justice. The motion to appoint her, presented by the Prime Minister, failed to reach the required two-thirds parliamentary majority of 53 votes in favour. The debate in Parliament was heated, and saw many political jabs made between the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader towards each other. The no vote is understood to have triggered a clause in the Constitution which meant that the current Chief Justice could stay on in his role until a person is chosen.
Borg met with the President on Thursday evening after Abela did. "She showed me the importance of continuing discussing between ourselves, and not with the imposition of one side," he said. Borg said that the Prime Minister called his office and gave him an appointment to meet and continue discussing the appointment on Friday. Borg said that the President stressed the need for agreement on a nomination. "It cannot be imposed by only one side," he said. Borg said the Constitution is clear that if there is no agreement then they will not move forward. "Tomorrow we will continue discussing and hopefully we will reach agreement on a name of a person to occupy the role of Chief Justice."
Asked whether she said she would not be involved in these discussions, Borg said that "if she was not involved, she would not have called for us." He said that earlier in the day he had asked her to intervene. "She called for the Prime Minister, and she called for me, and the Prime Minister called my office with an appointment for discussions to continue."
Earlier in the day, the PN Leader said that he was taking the step of asking for the President's involvement in light of "the many false statements that have been made regarding communication between himself and the Prime Minister," a statement by the PN read. "He said the process has lost its importance and credibility because it is no longer about who will be Chief Justice, but about whether the Maltese people can trust the Prime Minister in the way he conducts himself," the PN said.