Bidu fis-Sehh ta' l-Att ta' l-1996 li jemenda l-Att dwar ir-Referendi

Bidu fis-Sehh ta' l-Att ta' l-1996 li jemenda l-Att dwar ir-Referendi

Il-Prim Ministru Dr Eddie Fenech Adami llum ta bidu fis-sehh ta’ l-Att ta’ l-1996 li jemenda l-Att dwar ir-Referendi. Permezz ta’ dan l-Att, il-poplu jkun jista’ jsemma’ lehnu direttament fit-tmexxija tal-pajjiz billi jinghata d-dritt jiddeciedi jekk dispozizzjonijiet partikolari ta’ xi ligi ghandhomx jibqghu fis-sehh.

L-emenda li bdiet issehh mil-lum tippermetti kull individwu, jew grupp ta’ individwi, illi direttament jiehdu inizjattiva u jitolbu l-Parlament biex ihassar xi dispozizzjonijiet legali partikolari. Dan jista’ jkun attwat billi tkun prezentata dikjarazzjoni lill-Kummissjoni Elettorali ffirmata minn mhux inqas minn ghaxra fil-mija ta’ l-elettorat. Wara li d-dikjarazzjoni tkun validata mill-Kummissjoni Elettorali, il-Qorti Kostituzzjonali titlob lill-President ta’ Malta biex jiffissa data ghal referendum fi zmien sitt xhur. Imbaghad, isir referendum li fih il-poplu jkun mitlub jghid jekk jaqbel jew ma jaqbilx ghat-tnehhija tal-legislazzjoni in kwestjoni. Jekk hamsin fil-mija u wiehed ta’ dawk intitolati biex jivvotaw jaqblu mal-proposta, id-dispozizzjoni legali in kwestjoni ma tibqax fis-sehh.

Din l-emenda tipprovdi ghat-tnehhija ta’ kull Att tal-Parlament, hlief certi Atti specifikati fl-Att dwar ir-Referendi.

Coming into force of the 1996 Act to Amend the Referenda Act

The Prime Minister, Dr Edward Fenech Adami, has today brought into force the 1996 Act to amend the Referenda Act. This Act will give the people a direct voice in the governance of the country by allowing them to decide whether particular provisions of law should be removed.

The amendment being brought into force today allows any individual, or group of individuals, to directly take the initiative in requesting Parliament to repeal particular legal provisions. This may be done by presenting a declaration signed by at least ten percent of the electorate to the Electoral Commission. Once the declaration is validated by the Electoral Commission, the Constitutional Court will ask the President to fix a date for a referendum within a maximum of six months. A referendum will then be held in which the people will be asked to agree or disagree with the proposed removal of the legislation in question. If fifty percent plus one of those entitled to vote agree with the proposal, the legal provision in question will cease to have effect.

This amendment provides for the repeal of any Act of Parliament, excluding certain Acts specified in the Referenda Act.

09.09.98