Zammit Lewis Says MPs Shouldn’t Be Elected By Quota More Than Once
Labour MP Edward Zammit Lewis has called for a revision of parliamentary gender quotas to ensure that MPs don’t get elected by the mechanism more than once.
The quotas have become a political talking point in recent days, with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola warning it has become a “smokescreen to manipulate statistics at the expense of women” and PN MP Claudette Buttigieg pledging to refuse her seat if she is once again elected via quota.
Zammit Lewis, who had piloted this reform as Justice Minister ahead of the 2022 election, said he disagrees with these arguments but that the mechanism needs to be reformed.
“I agree with the mechanism that was initially spearheaded by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. It was an important step that resulted in a solid presence of female MPs,” he said.
“However, I believe that it should be amended to ensure that people who were elected MPs by quota cannot make use of the mechanism twice. The mechanism certainly shouldn’t be used to reward the power of incumbency of MPs.”
“On another political note, the role of a Prime Minister in a democracy like ours is nowhere near that of the Russian Czar in the 1800s. Therefore, a wise Prime Minister should choose competent individuals for his Cabinet – those who were elected with a clear mandate from the electorate—and maintain a balance across the respective electoral districts. Consequently, even the Prime Minister’s discretion is constrained in this way.”
Should gender quotas be revised?
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