Parliament should not be hijacked by political parties; MPs should be given more free space – Archbishop

Parliament should no longer be hijacked by political parties, and individual MPs should be allowed more free space in the House of Representatives, Archbishop Mgr Charles Scicluna said.

Interviewed by The Malta Independent online editor Stephen Calleja for the programme INDEPTH, Archbishop Scicluna said he understood that MPs contest elections on behalf of political parties, but Parliament should no longer be “governed by the Whips”.

Mgr Scicluna was referring to common instances in which MPs were requested to vote according to the instructions of the party whip, whose job is to see that the official party line is followed in Parliament. The occasions on which MPs are allowed a free vote are few and far between and mostly on matters of conscience. This is a system that Malta has adopted from the British House of Commons.

Mgr Scicluna said he hoped there would be more occasions on which MPs are given the chance to discuss their views freely and also more opportunities for free voting in Parliament.

“I know the political parties will not be happy with what I am saying,” he added.

It is pertinent to point out, he added, that the patron saint of politicians is St Thomas More, who chose the “primacy of conscience” when faced with political challenges. He said he hoped that politicians would be enlightened by the “primacy of conscience” in the decisions that they make.

The INDEPTH interview with Mgr Scicluna will be published on www.independent.com.mt this week.