Momentum has asked the Ombudsman to investigate the continuing technical issues that have barred citizens from successfully signing petitions submitted to Parliament. The issue has received further scrutiny following Momentum’s petition against proposed amendments to legislation concerning magisterial inquiries.
Momentum Committee Member Natasha Azzopardi stated that, due to system errors, many people just cannot process their signatures. Registered voters are being misinformed that they are not on the electoral register, while others are being required to call a specific number or contact the Clerk of the House—causing issues of privacy and transparency.
These problems were reported to both the Speaker and the Clerk of the House several months ago, according to Azzopardi, and nothing has yet been done about it. “Obstacles during the petition process discourage public participation,” she stressed; adding that the irregularities beg serious questions about who has access to the petitions database and why individuals must disclose personal details to third parties before signing.
Momentum has received various complaints from the public equipped with screenshots, who suspect that their signatures have not been processed due to technical failings. Momentum claims that the system failures robustly challenge a fundamental democratic right and must be corrected in a timely fashion.
Momentum is urging the Ombudsman to conduct a full investigation so that the petitioning platform is, above all else, open, accessible, and free of unnecessary barriers, permitting citizens to exercise their democratic rights without hindrance.
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