Momentum Calls for Ombudsman Investigation into Petition System Failures
Momentum has formally requested the Ombudsman to investigate ongoing technical issues that are preventing citizens from successfully signing petitions for Parliament. This issue has become particularly evident following the petition initiated by Momentum to oppose changes to the law governing the magisterial inquiry https://parlament.mt/mt/petition?id=254
Momentum Committee Member Natasha Azzopardi stated “Many individuals have expressed their frustration at being unable to process their signatures. Some are being incorrectly informed that they are not part of the electoral register, despite being registered voters. Others are instructed to call a specific number or send an email to the Clerk of the House, raising serious concerns about privacy and transparency.
Despite the speaker and clerk of the house having been informed several months ago of the issues with the system, nothing has been changed
As they know, any stumbling block in the process of signing a petition will put citizens off.
These irregularities also pose significant questions about who has access to the petitions database and why private individuals must disclose to third parties prior to signing a petition. The system has been plagued with such faults since its inception, and no apparent effort has been made to address these deficiencies”.
Momentum has received numerous screenshots and complaints from citizens who suspect their signatures were not processed due to these technical faults. The party believes that such systemic failures undermine the fundamental democratic right to petition Parliament and must be urgently rectified.
Momentum urges the Ombudsman to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that the petition system is transparent, accessible, and functions as intended, without unnecessary obstacles for citizens who wish to exercise their democratic rights.
