Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1489838
2 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 11 JANUARY 2023 2 NICOLE MEILAK MALTA has officially taken its seat on the United Nations (UN) Security Council, its most pow- erful body, as Ambassador to the UN Vanessa Frazier raised the Maltese flag outside the council chamber at the official ceremony. According to the Times of Malta, Frazier promised during the ceremony that Malta will operate under the three prin- ciples of security, sustainabil- ity, and solidarity, while con- tinuing to advocate for peace, security, stability, dialogue, de-escalation, and respect of international law. She added that Malta will prioritise children and armed conflicts, promoting the wom- en, peace, and security agenda, emphasising climate change as a critical threat and literacy as a peace-building tool. Malta joined Ecuador, Japan, Mozambique, and Switzerland on the UN Security Council after winning a two-year seat in June. Malta obtained 97% of the vote from the 190 voting member states. Frazier deemed it as a historic day for Malta as it obtained a seat for the second time in its history, giving Malta an op- portunity to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security. The UN Security Council is responsible for addressing is- sues pertaining to global peace and security, suggesting the admission of new members to the General Assembly and en- dorsing any modifications to the UN charter. The council is composed of five permanent members - the US, the UK, France, Russia, and China - and 10 elected, non-permanent members, each serving two-year terms. Mal- ta had a two-year term on the council in 1983, after falling short at the last voting stage in its first attempt in 1977. Malta takes seat on UN security council, pledges to prioritise peace and sustainability Malta's Ambassador to the UN Vanessa Frazier raises the Maltese f lag at the official ceremony and promises to operate under principles of security and solidarity Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations, Vanessa Frazier, stands next to the flag of Malta on the left (UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe) MARIANNA CALLEJA OPPOSITION MP Mark Anthony Sam- mut accused the Prime Minister of falsity when quoting the PN manifesto to justify an anti-deadlock mechanism in the ap- pointment of the standards commission- er. The MP told parliament on Tuesday, the 2017 Nationalist Party proposal re- ferred only to senior appointments in the public service, such as the head of the Civil Service, the Commissioner of Police, the Commander of the Armed Forces, the Governor of the Central Bank, the Chief Statistician at the Na- tional Statistics Office and the mem- bers of constitutional bodies such as the Broadcasting Authority, the Public Ser- vice Commission and the Employment Commission. The PN at the time had also suggest- ed that these public service roles should be filled after nominees were approved by a two-thirds majority in parliament. The anti-deadlock mechanism was in- tended to overcome any impasse. "The PN's proposal makes no refer- ence to the role parliament is discussing now," Sammut said. Sammut's was reacting to PM Rob- ert Abela's reference in parliament on Monday to the PN's manifesto. Abela said the 2017 Forza Nazzjonali manifesto includes a pledge to intro- duce an anti-deadlock mechanism for appointments that require a two-thirds majority in parliament. He pointed out that the Labour Party's proposal is identical to what is now be- ing proposed by government, with the exception that the current amendment is confined only to the appointment of a Standards Commissioner. The PN MP also accused the Prime Minister of being disrespectful when speaking of candidates' names public- ly. "Candidates used to be discussed in private," insisted Sammut. "Never were they mentioned in public and humiliat- ed like this." Government published the legal text of an amendment last week to intro- duce an anti-deadlock mechanism in the appointment of the standards com- missioner. The proposal allows the standards commissioner to be appointed by par- liament through a simple majority vote if the nomination fails to garner a two- thirds majority in two previous voting rounds. This was introduced after the govern- ment nominated former chief justice Joseph Azzopardi to the role of stand- ards commissioner. This has been re- jected by the Opposition, leading to an impasse as the post needs a two-thirds majority. The Nationalist Party has been highly critical of the new anti-deadlock mech- anism, calling it anti-democratic. Op- position leader Bernard Grech said that the legal bill is an attempt by the PM to install whoever he wants into the role of standards commissioner. Concluding his speech, Sammut said the Prime Minister does not want a hard-working commissioner. "The government wants to continue making deals, advertise itself with peo- ple's money, giving direct orders, abus- ing and do whatever it wants," Mark Anthony Sammut concluded. Sammut: Abela lied when quoting PN manifesto to justify anti-deadlock mechanism PN MP Mark Anthony Sammut