Momentum Calls For Ombudsman Investigation Into Faulty Parliamentary Petition System
New third-party Momentum has officially requested the Ombudsman to launch an investigation into persistent technical issues that are preventing citizens from successfully signing Parliamentary petitions.
he party has raised concerns that these malfunctions are creating unnecessary barriers to democratic participation, particularly following the launch of its own petition against proposed changes to the law governing magisterial inquiries.
Widespread Technical Failures
Momentum Committee Member Natasha Azzopardi highlighted the frustration experienced by many individuals attempting to sign the petition. According to Azzopardi, several registered voters have encountered messages incorrectly informing them that they are not part of the electoral register. Others have been instructed to call a specific number or send an email to the Clerk of the House, raising concerns about both privacy and transparency in the petition process.
“These irregularities pose significant questions about who has access to the petitions database and why private individuals must disclose information to third parties before they can sign a petition,” Azzopardi stated. “The system has been plagued with faults since its inception, and no apparent effort has been made to address these deficiencies.”
Lack of Action Despite Prior Warnings
Momentum has revealed that both the Speaker and the Clerk of the House were made aware of these issues several months ago, yet no corrective action has been taken. The party warns that the ongoing problems are discouraging citizens from engaging with the petition system, thereby undermining their democratic rights.
“As they know, any stumbling block in the process of signing a petition will put citizens off,” Azzopardi added. “The failure to address these systemic flaws raises serious concerns about the accessibility and integrity of the petitioning process.”
Calls for Urgent Reform
Momentum has gathered numerous screenshots and complaints from citizens who suspect their signatures were not processed due to these technical faults. The party argues that such failures compromise the fundamental democratic right to petition Parliament and must be urgently rectified.
As a result, Momentum is calling on the Ombudsman to conduct a comprehensive investigation to ensure that the petition system is transparent, fully functional, and free from unnecessary obstacles. The party insists that citizens should be able to exercise their democratic rights without facing technical hurdles that could potentially suppress civic engagement.
How do you think the Ombudsman should respond to this investigation request?
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