The prime minister’s spokeserson yesterday said Lawrence Gonzi’s pledge for transparency in government appointments was part of “a five-year programme”, but failed to answer on how his government was ensuring more transparency when three appointments after March’s election were carried out without a public call for applications.
The PN’s electoral manifesto, under the heading of “more transparency”, has pledged that appointments to government boards will be made after a public call for applications.
But the reappointment of boards and chairpersons at the Malta Transport Authority, the Malta Communications Authority and the Malta Enterprise were not preceded by public calls. The new chairpersons are Simon Vella (ADT), former Melita Cable CEO Philip Micallef (MCA), and Alan Camilleri – Gonzi’s former communications man and euro changeover head – as Malta Enterprise chairman.
Answering to questions on how such a pledge fit in with the recent reappointments, spokesperson Gordon Pisani said there was “still time for proposals to be implemented… the programme is spread over five years.”
It is unclear as to whether the pledge will be kept for high-profile appointments in State entities.
Pisani said a call for applications had been issued for experts for five administrative law review boards in the justice ministry.
In parliament, Gonzi replied to the same question put to him by Labour MP Leo Brincat, without as much answering it: “The electoral programme, as evidenced by its title, is a programme for five years... electoral promise 258 is clear in that ‘appointments to government boards will take place after a call for applications’.”
Gonzi however turned to Brincat, accusing him as a Labour minister of having moved a bill in parliament to revoke the 1996 law on nominations by the Opposition. “Government then had removed the Opposition’s right to nominate people on boards of public entities. In May 200, the Opposition had once again refused government’s offer to reintroduce this right.”

mvella@mediatoday.com.mt