Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/755517
9 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 27 NOVEMBER 2016 News Franco Debono eyes Owen Bonnici's district FRANCO Debono, Lawrence Gonzi's nemesis in the PN gov- ernment which was routed by La- bour in the 2013 election, would not deny yesterday that he is eye- ing both the third and fifth elec- toral districts, which he would contest on a Labour ticket. The former Nationalist MP dogged the last years of the Gonzi administration and finally in 2012 brought the government down by voting against on a budget vote: Gonzi had just a one-seat major- ity which he won by a whisker. Debono would not confirm a definite intention to MaltaTo- day yesterday, but said: "Yes I am considering but it is premature to announce my candidature. This government is doing a good job and I know what my choices are." Last Thursday, on TVM's Sav- iour Balzan programme XTRA, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat avoided answering questions on whether he would be accepting Franco Debono as a new candi- date. Muscat confirmed that he had had a number of meetings with Debono. Debono, 42, was unwilling to declare his preference of districts which he would want to contest, but he has openly declared with friends that he is definitely in- terested in the third (Zejtun) and fifth (Birzebbugia) districts. His preference for the Zejtun district is striking because it is the electoral base of Justice Minister Owen Bonnici, who appointed him Commissioner for Law and coordinator of the Constitution- al reform convention in March 2013. Zejtun is a Labour stronghold and Debono's affinity for it stems from the fact that his partner hails from Zejtun and his father is also from the town. He also makes it known that he shared the same classroom with Joseph Muscat, when they both attended the Jes- uit-run St Aloysius College. His antics during the laboured Gonzi administration still rankles with his critics who consider him a defector, but he is an eloquent speaker and forceful debater. Applications for conduct certificates can now be made online AS of next week, applications for a police conduct certificate can be made online. Those with a Maltese ID-card can apply for the certificate on- line through the e-id system and will receive it by post at home, avoiding having to go to the Criminal Records Office in Flo- riana. During a visit at the Police Criminal Records Office, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Ab- ela said that discussion with the Data Protection Commissioner, led to legal amendments in June 2016. Applicants would receive the certificate by post on the ad- dress registered on the ID card. The conduct is printed on se- cure paper. A person eligible for conduct Type A, known as clean con- duct, would receive a confirma- tion via email that this was pro- cessed and sent by post. A person eligible for conduct Type B will receive an email ask- ing if he/she wishes to proceed with an online application. A Type B conduct can be either collected personally from Crim- inal Records Office or receive it via registered post. Payment for online conduct certificates will remain as it is, adding the post fee. During 2015, 58,000 con- duct certificates were issued. From January to October 2016, around 56,000 conduct certifi- cates were issued, with summer months being the busiest. A substantial part of the work of the Criminal Records Office includes updating of the crimi- nal record, following a court sentence. Last year, the office received 18,063 notifications on people who were convicted in Court. 11,080 were crimes whilst 6,983 were contraven- tions. The Criminal Records Office is also conducting verifications related to Malta's Presidency of the Council of the European Un- ion 2017. Till now, 9,000 people have already been verified. Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela visits the Criminal Records Office Franco Debono