Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/963162
maltatoday SUNDAY 8 APRIL 2018 26 Unmarried partners face daunting obstacles in Malta due to the inexistence of laws regulating cohabiting couples or other durable, long-term relationships. A typical problem of this reality in Mal- ta cropped up in a parliamentary ques- tion to European Commissioner Franco Frattini by Labour MEP Joseph Muscat, which revealed that non-married EU citizens in Malta, in this case the mother of a Maltese citizen's child, cannot even benefit from free healthcare. The case concerns a Maltese man who is partnered, but not married, with a woman from another EU Member State. Muscat said the Maltese man is employed regularly and pays his taxes, including national insurance. However, his partner has never worked in Malta and does not plan to do so imminently, having to look after their newborn child. Muscat asked the Commission for its comments on the fact that the woman was not entitled to benefit from the zero tariffs afforded to Maltese nationals. In his reply, Frattini pointed out that the laws governing free movement and the regrouping of families also includes registered partners under the legislation of a Member State – if the legislation of the host Member State treats registered partners as equivalent to marriage, which in the case of Malta is non-exist- ent. EU law provides that inactive citizens – unemployed – have a right to residence in any EU member state provided they can take care of themselves and have health insurance. Once they spend five years in the country, they are entitled to permanent residence and are therefore no longer subjected to the conditions of non-permanent residence. However while the inactive partner of the Maltese citizen benefits from equal treatment rules, Frattini said she can only enjoy her right to residence in Malta provided she has a complete sickness insurance in Malta – unless she has already acquired the permanent right of residence. The situation is ref lective of the status of unmarried partners, who while also being parents, may still not benefit from the same rights and social benefits ac- corded to married parents. The regulation of cohabiting part- ners represents one of the unfulfilled promises of the Nationalist Party's 1998 electoral programme. It was omitted totally in its 2008 programme, although Lawrence Gonzi claimed during the electoral campaign that the promise had not bee omitted. He declared he would revise the law, saying it was his duty to change the law. In September 2007 however, Gonzi declared that the state had a duty to legislate to safeguard the rights and obligations of cohabiting partners, say- ing "the issue cannot be postponed any more. This reality is exposing the weaker partner in a relationship to serious abuse. We have a duty to legislate… We will surely legislate on this matter in the next legislature." Labour also pay lip service to legislat- ing in favour of other forms of family, in- cluding "different family forms" as part of its pledge to widen the definition of the family. Only Alternattiva Demokra- tika stood out with promises to address cohabitation rights and gay partnerships. Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. Cohabiting partners feel the brunt of legislative void Opinion News – 9 April, 2008 201820172016 201520142013 201220112010 2009 2008 Clientelism and the way forward The way forward as regards clientelism must be the institu- tion of checks and balances, and independence from political interference must be given to Malta's institutions. If these are not at the founda- tion of constitutional reform, then such a process is likely to be misguided in what it hopes to improve. Putting the spotlight on any one perpetrator of clientelism is not an attempt to shame such an individual or office, as clientelism has been practised by most politicians in Malta in one form or another across the past few generations. Instead, what is needed is to present a case study. Not to shame indeed, but to highlight the entire process of corruption, so that we can identify what to fix, why to fix it and how to do so. After bringing this matter to the attention of the Permanent Commission Against Corruption, one hopes that an independent investigation can indeed begin. Clientelism is so widespread and matter-of-fact that Minister Jose Herrera admitted that it is normal for ministers to have "customer care departments" and this has been standard practice since time immemorial. Therefore, the goal must be that once the system has been exposed, political parties are ral- lied around solutions. The most common myth to be dispelled is that by doing a favour for a voter, one is actually doing them a real favour. Instead, the unfair distribution of resources distorts the mechanisms of a properly functioning country. We must end clientelism and look after everyone in Malta without blink- ers. The people who need help the most are probably not going to be well connected enough to milk the system. We need to turn the money and manpower spent on "cus- tomer care departments" which undermine the system working properly to be spent on social and educational programmes and on improving the civil service itself. Otherwise we are supporting an inherently just caste system, and the party in government will live in profound fear of the day it loses power, and may stop at nothing to hold on to it. Timothy Alden, Partit Demokratiku Injustice on pension rates I would like to quote some points pertaining to the injustice meted out towards pensioners, who dur- ing their working years, contrib- uted towards their social security pension at the rate required by their scale entitlement, i.e. Scale 3 to 10. Whereas pensioners who during their working life were on Scale 11 to 20 contributed less towards their pension, again as was required by the scale entitlement, the latter recently had a revision of their pension, resulting in a substantial increase bringing them at par to that of Scale 3 to 10, in addition to a substantial back-pay. During the past days the Maltese public witnessed the non-debate in Parliament, where it was collec- tively suggested by our generous MPs, that the law concerning their pension rights should be amended, meaning, after just one legislature they would be entitled to a parlia- mentary pension. The government felt that after this period of time, it was highly appropriate to correct this anomaly, because it affected the parliamentarians directly. But the government and the PN Opposition did not feel the need to remove the capping for the workers suffering the injustice of capping. Whoever followed the 'non-debate' knows why this law was not amended. Normally, when letters to editors are published in newspapers con- cerning government or depart- mental matters, the department concerned would try to clarify, accept or reject the complaint or issue raised. On 15 October, 2017, I wrote such a letter and the Department of Social Security never acknowl- edged or confirmed the issue, but there was stony silence from this department. With this behaviour the Social Security Department is confirming that, revision and back-pay took place for Scales 11 to 20 and for justice to be carried out with the workers on Scales 3-10, the capping law has to be amended, something that has been going on since the previous administration. Our kind-hearted, generous MPs never thought of us poor workers. I appeal to the Opposition; the PN and PD, to bring forward a motion to remove the capping from the Social Security Pension. This appeal is being made in the light that the Opposition claims that the parliamentarians are elected to give service to the electorate and not for their own personal interests. So, we can see how good they are at their word. Francis Paris Zabbar Gratitude for Maltese hospitality and generosity Sister Annie Demerjian who was invited to Malta by ACN Malta, the local office of Aid to the Church in Need, has expressed her heartfelt thanks for the warm welcome she received from the Maltese people, who took her to their hearts. Sister Annie Demerjian was the main speaker at the Night of Witness held last Friday at Good Shepherd church, Balzan. She gave a moving account of her experiences in Syria while helping fellow Syr- ians who lost everything as a result of the war, which is now entering its 8th year. Many of those who attended offered generous donations to help her carry out her humanitarian work. Having expressed a wish to meet and get to know the Mal- tese people, Sister Annie was also able to visit a few schools and parishes during her stay in Malta. Speaking about her experiences in Malta, she said she was "ver y touched by the warm welcome she received and the generosit y of the Mal- tese people." Sister Annie Demerjian asked the Maltese people to join her in praying for all the people of war-torn Syria. Quoting an extract from the Bible, in the words of St Paul: "If one part of our body hurts, all the parts suffer with it" (1 Corinthians 12:26) she emphasised that what is happening in Syria affects us all. She urged the Maltese to particularly remem- ber in their prayers their fellow Christians, who in addition to the horrors of war had also suf- fered persecution at the hands of ISIS. Yesterday evening, Sister An- nie Demerjian f lew to Rome. After spending a few days in Italy with her Order, Sister Annie Demerjian will return to Damascus where she is cur- rently based. Those who wish to assist Sis- ter Annie Demerjian with her work in Syria can send cheques made out to "ACN Malta" in an envelope marked "Syria appeal " to ACN's offices – 39b Mdina Road, Attard ATD 9038; Tel: 21487818). You can also make a donation by Direct Bank Transfer to: APS Bank, IBAN: MT72 APSB7 7057 0085 7722 0001771733, Swift code: APS- BMTMT. Please email info@ acnmalta.org and let us know when payment was made. Geraldine Griff iths ACN Malta