Nr 25 Diċembru 2020 December 2020 PARLAMENT TA’ MALTA mill‑PARLAMENT Perjodiku maħruġ mill‑Uffiċċju tal‑Ispeaker Periodical issued by the Office of the Speaker 1 mill-PARLAMENT - Diċembru 2020 Għotja demm... servizz soċjali mill-poplu għall-poplu Inħeġġuk biex nhar il-Ħamis, 6 ta’ Mejju 2021 bejn it-8:30am u s-1:00pm tiġi quddiem il-bini tal-Parlament biex tagħmel donazzjoni ta’ demm. Tinsiex iġġib miegħek il-karta tal-identità. Minħabba l-imxija tal-COVID-19, qed jittieħdu l-miżuri kollha meħtieġa biex tkun protett inti u l-professjonisti li se jkunu qed jassistuk. Jekk ħadt it-tilqima kontra l-COVID-19 ħalli 7 ijiem jgħaddu qabel tersaq biex tagħti d-demm. Din l-attività qed tittella’ miċ-Ċentru tal-Għoti tad-Demm b’kollaborazzjoni mas- Servizz Parlamentari u d-Dipartiment tas-Sigurtà Soċjali. Ħarġa Nru 25/Issue No. 25 3 Daħla Diċembru 2020/December 2020 Foreword 4 Attivitajiet tal-Parlament Parliamentary Activities Ippubblikat mill‑Uffiċċju tal‑Ispeaker Published by the Office of the Speaker 12 Il-Kumitat Permanenti Għall-Affarijiet ta’ Għawdex Bord Editorjali The Standing Committee on Gozo Affairs Editorial Board 14 Attivitajiet Internazzjonali Ray Scicluna International Activities Josanne Paris 16 Il-Kuxjenza u l-Membri Parlamentari Maltin Ancel Farrugia Migneco Conscience and the Maltese Members of Parliament Eleanor Scerri Eric Frendo 32 L-Elezzjonijiet F’Malta ta’ qabel l-Indipendenza 1836-1962 Elections in Pre-Independence Malta 1836-1962 Indirizz Postali Postal Address House of Representatives Freedom Square Valletta VLT 1115 Malta Qoxra: Pjazza Ħelsien 2020 +356 2559 6000 Cover: Freedom Square 2020 www.parlament.mt [email protected] Ritratti/Photos: ISSN 2308‑538X Parlament ta’ Malta/DOI ISSN (online) 2308‑6637 2 mill-PARLAMENT - Diċembru 2020 Daħla Foreword F’din il‑25 ħarġa tal‑pubblikazzjoni mill-Parlament In this 25th issue of mill-Parlament I am pleased to say ngħid b’sodisfazzjon illi għalkemm għadna għaddejjin that although we are still going through the period of mill‑perjodu tal‑pandemija, ix‑xogħol tal‑Parlament pandemic, Parliament’s work has not been hindered, mhux talli ma ġiex ostakolat talli aħna l‑uniku pajjiż so much so that we are the only country from across mill‑pajjiżi kollha tal‑Unjoni Ewropea li l‑Parlament the European Union whose Parliament has continued tiegħu baqa’ għaddej u ma kellu l‑ebda interruzzjoni, la functioning uninterrupted, that is both the Plenary fis‑seduti tal‑Plenarja u lanqas fil‑laqgħat tal‑kumitati. sittings and the committee meetings. In fact, since the Infatti, mill‑aħħar ħarġa ta’ dan il‑perjodiku, kellna 59 last issue of this periodical, there have been another 59 seduta oħra tal‑Plenarja u aktar minn 79 laqgħa tal‑ plenary sessions and more than 79 standing committee kumitati Permanenti. ‑Ix xogħol tal‑Parlament mhux meetings. The work of Parliament has anything but talli ma naqasx, talli kellna rekord ta’ 27 mozzjoni slowed down. There have been a record of 27 motions mressqa għall‑Ewwel Qari, u 34 liġi li għaddiet mill‑ tabled for First Reading, and 34 laws passed through istadji kollha u saru Att, saru kważi 3,000 Mistoqsija all stages and became Acts of Parliament, almost Parlamentari, deċiżjonijiet tas‑Sedja, ċjoè rulings, 3,000 Parliamentary Questions were made, there ngħataw tlieta importanti, u kellna aktar minn 600 were three important rulings delivered by the Chair, dokument li tqiegħdu fuq il‑Mejda tal‑Kamra. and over 600 documents were tabled in the House. Aktar minn hekk, il‑konferenzi interparlamentari Moreover, all inter‑parliamentary conferences have kollha ġew onorati. Tmienja minnhom involvew il‑ been honored. Eight of them involved the participation parteċipazzjoni tas‑Sedja, inkluż il‑British Isles and of the Speaker, including the British Isles and Mediterranean Region (BIMR) Conference fi ħdan Mediterranean Region (BIMR) Conference within the il‑Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, li ġiet Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, which was organizzata mill‑Parlament Malti b’mod virtwali. organized virtually by the Maltese Parliament. We had Kellna laqgħat tal‑Parliamentary Intelligence‑ meetings of the Parliamentary Intelligence‑Security Security Forum, organizzati mill‑Kungress Amerikan Forum, organized by the US Congress on May 14 and fl‑14 ta’ Mejju u fl‑4 ta’ Awwissu. Il‑Konferenza August 4. The two‑day World Conference of Speakers Dinjija tal‑Ispeakers li nżammet fuq jumejn ukoll was also honored. Of course, they were all held virtually. ġiet onorata. Ovvjament dawn kollha nżammu The same goes for the Inter‑Parliamentary Union b’mod virtwali. L‑istess bħall‑konferenza tal‑Inter‑ (IPU) conference held on 17 September and another Parliamentary Union (IPU) li kienet organizzata fis‑17 conference on the security of European countries vis‑ ta’ Settembru u konferenza oħra dwar is‑sigurtà tal‑ à‑vis China on 29 November. A meeting organized by pajjiżi Ewropej vis-à-vis iċ‑Ċina fid‑29 ta’ Novembru. the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Fil‑25 ta’ Novembru saret laqgħa organizzata mill‑ was held on 25 November and on 8 December there Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) u was another meeting with the US Congress of the fit‑8 ta’ Diċembru kellna laqgħa oħra mal‑Kungress Parliamentary Intelligence‑Security Forum on the role Amerikan tal‑Parliamentary Intelligence‑Security of national parliaments with regard to cybersecurity. I Forum dwar ir‑rwol tal‑parlamenti nazzjonali f’dak li am saying this with satisfaction because it shows the huwa cybersecurity. Qiegħed ngħid dan b’sodisfazzjon way in which the Maltese Parliament is organized, għaliex dan juri l‑mod kif il‑Parlament Malti huwa both from an administrative point of view and in organizzat, kemm mill‑aspett amministrattiv kif ukoll terms of participation from both sides of the House. fejn tidħol parteċipazzjoni miż‑żewġ naħat tal‑Kamra. In this issue we find an interesting article presenting F’din il‑ħarġa nsibu artiklu interessanti li jippreżenta the result of the work and research done by r‑riżultat tax‑xogħol u r‑riċerka li saret minn Dr Mario Dr Mario Thomas Vassallo on the use of the Thomas Vassallo dwar il‑vot tal‑kuxjenza min‑naħa vote of conscience by Members of Parliament. tal‑Membri Parlamentari. I would like to take this opportunity to once again Nieħu l‑okkażjoni biex għal darb’oħra nirringrazzja lill‑ thank Professor George Cassar for his regular Professur George Cassar għall‑kontribuzzjoni regolari contribution. This time we have an interesting article tiegħu. Din id‑darba għandna artiklu interessanti dwar about the elections in Malta before Independence. l‑elezzjonijiet f’Malta qabel l‑Indipendenza. Anġlu Farrugia Speaker 3 mill-PARLAMENT - Diċembru 2020 Attivitajiet tal‑Parlament NSTF Mini-European Assembly 2020 L‑Ispeaker tal‑Kamra tad‑Deputati, l‑Onor. Anġlu Farrugia ppresieda s‑sessjoni finali tal‑Mini‑European Assembly 2020, organizzata min‑National Student Travel Foundation (NSTF), li nżammet fil‑Parlament ta’ Malta fil‑11 ta’ Awwissu. Mindu twaqqfet fl‑1977 l‑NSTF għenet bosta studenti Maltin u barranin permezz ta’ inizjattivi edukattivi intiżi li jagħtuhom esperjenza utli għall‑ħajja, b’opportunitajiet ta’ laqgħat lokali jew f’pajjiżi oħra fejn huma jkunu jistgħu jaqsmu l‑ideat tagħhom u jieħdu azzjoni fuq temi ta’ interess komuni. Dan jgħin lill‑istudenti jagħrfu l‑importanza tas‑solidarjetà umana u jseddaq l‑impenn tagħhom favur rabtiet ta’ ħbiberija fost il‑ġnus. It‑tema ewlenija diskussa f’din l‑edizzjoni tal‑Mini‑European Assembly kienet l‑immigrazzjoni illegali. L‑Ispeaker fisser id‑determinazzjoni ta’ kull individwu li jkun lest li jagħmel kollox meta jkun iffaċċjat b’sitwazzjoni iebsa jew theddida għall‑għajxien tiegħu. Hu tenna li l‑gvernijiet huma obbligati li jissalvagwardjaw id‑dinjità ta’ kull persuna, irrispettivament minn fejn ikunu ġejjin. Filwaqt li tenna l‑obbligu tal‑komunità internazzjonali li tħares u tagħti kenn lill‑immigranti minn persekuzzjoni, ġenoċidju, trattament diskriminatorju u tkasbir tad‑drittijiet u libertajiet fundamentali tal‑individwu, l‑Ispeaker saħaq fuq il‑bżonn li din il‑kriżi umanitarja tkun trattata b’mod mill‑aktar wiesa’ f’kuntest ta’ politika favur l‑iżvilupp uman u li tippromwovi s‑sliem u l‑paċi fost il‑ġnus. 4 mill-PARLAMENT - Diċembru 2020 Parliamentary Activities NSTF Mini-European Assembly 2020 The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Anġlu Farrugia, presided over the final session of the Mini‑ European Assembly 2020, held in Parliament by the National Student Travel Foundation (NSTF) on 11 August. Since it was established in 1977 NSTF has helped many Maltese and foreign students by way of educational initiatives meant to give them valid life experiences, including opportunities to meet both locally and abroad to share their ideas and act on issues of common interest. This helps students understand the importance of human solidarity, and foster their commitment in favour of friendship among nations. The main theme discussed in this edition of the Mini‑European Assembly was illegal immigration. The Speaker spoke about the individual’s determination to do whatever necessary when faced with difficult situations that may threaten his very livelihood. He said that governments are obliged to safeguard each person’s dignity, irrespective of their origin. The Speaker reiterated that the international community is dutybound to protect migrants from persecution, genocide, discriminatory treatment and the violation of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual. He also stressed the need to deal with this humanitarian crisis in the wider context of a pro‑human development policy that promotes peace and tranquillity among nations. 5 mill-PARLAMENT - Diċembru 2020 Attivitajiet tal‑Parlament (Kont.) Il-Parlament tan-Nanniet 2020 Fit‑23 ta’ Settembru l‑Ispeaker Anġlu Farrugia mexxa l‑edizzjoni tal‑2020 tal‑Parlament tan‑Nanniet, bit‑tema ‘In‑Nanniet u r‑Realtà Attwali’. L‑Ispeaker fakkar lin‑nanniet li r‑responsabbiltà tat‑trobbija tal‑ulied hi primarjament tal‑ġenituri stess. Dan ifisser li l‑kollaborazzjoni bejn in‑nanniet u wliedhom hi msejsa fuq l‑imħabba naturali tal‑ġenituri lejn uliedhom.