Solidarity with Victor Galea

18 August 2008, 4:15 pm

by Michael Briguglio Victor Galea, the General Secretary of Alternattiva Demokratika - The Green Party, has been informed by the office of the Prime Minister that as a teacher, he can't hold on to his post of General Secretary of AD. The OPM is quoting rules which are an unwelcome relic of colonial times, notwithstanding their appearance in the updated Public Service Management Code. Such rules does not only preclude most civil servants from occupying a post in a political party, but also preclude them from speaking in public on matters of political controversy, expressing views on public matters on letters to the press and from canvassing on behalf of parliamentary candidates. OPM is being discriminatory as there are many other civil servants who are active in politics - particularly with the Nationalist and Labour Parties, and who have been so for years. Apparently, OPM has also used the discriminatory technique with officials from Azzjoni Nazzjonali. I urge the Nationalist and Labour Parties to condemn such discrimination, and the Office of the Prime Minister to revise its outdated regulations on political activism, which, after all, is a basic civil right. One can read more about this in James Debono's news item in Malta Today, in Lino Spiteri's article in The Times, and in Carmel Cacopardo's blog.... read more

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