Oct 28 - GSD Accuses GSLP-Libs Of Breaking Political Reform Promises
The GSD says that, in 2011, the GSLP-Libs promised to introduce any measures suggested by the Commission on Democratic and Political reform within six months from approval by Parliament. The party says this implied that “quick action” would be taken to implement these reforms.
The GSD says it would like to remind the public that the Commission reported in January 2013 and that nearly two years later “the large majority of its suggestions have not been implemented.”
The GSD accuses the GSLP-Libs of “simply setting up” a cross-party select committee that “started with great effort that soon petered out, disappeared and never reported to Parliament.” The party says that the GSLP-Libs now promise to reconstitute that same committee but do not commit to any reforms adding that this is just “a return to a path to the same nothingness as there has been in the last four years.”
The GSD argues that, in addition the Freedom of Information Act and a Ministerial and Parliamentary code were promised by the GSLP in 2011, neither has been implemented in the last four years. The GSD says that the GSLP-Libs “now promise the same again” with all of the proposals “in a form and content that the GSD considers are inadequate.”
A statement continued: “The GSD are not playing catch up. The GSD has not been in government for the last four years. Consequently, it has not been in a position to implement its 2011 manifesto commitments, for example to have backbenchers and other extensive reforms. It is the GSLP-Libs who have failed in the last four years to implement their policies on Political Reform promised in 2011.
“The only parliamentary reforms of the GSLP-Libs in the last four years have been cosmetic tinkering with the system, like more meetings of Parliament but refusing to answer questions. The GSLP-Libs have not increased democracy, openness, transparency and fairness. The GSD promised to do so in its 2011 manifesto and commits now to policies that will deliver greater democracy, openness, transparency and fairness to Gibraltar.”
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