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Cyberspace - 30/07/2017

Wieħed mill-effetti pożittivi tal-internet kien li bidel ħafna u tejjeb il-mod kif nistgħu naħdmu flimkien. Jekk nieħdu bħala eżempju l-kamp xjentifiku, żgur li kien wieħed mir-raġunijiet ewlenin għala r-riċerka illum qed tavvanza b’mod daqstant mgħaġġel. Għalfejn? Għax fejn qabel kien ikollok riċerkaturi u xjentisti f’pajjiżi differenti qed jaħdmu fuq affarijiet relatati jew simili, u r-riżultati tagħhom kienu jieħdu ż-żmien biex jiġu pubblikati u jinqasmu mal-kumplament tal-komunità xjentifika, grazzi għall-internet dan kollu inbidel u llum riċerkaturi jaqsmu r-riżultati tagħhom b’mod iktar immedjat, bir-riżultat li ħaddieħor jista’ mill-ewwel ikompli jiżviluppa fuq ir-riżultati ta’ dak li jkun.

Jien nemmen li jekk l-istess kunċett ta’ aċċess immedjat nwessgħuh ukoll għat-tħaddim tad-demokrazija, l-internet jista’ jkun għodda importanti biex iċ-ċittadin ikollu sehem aktar attiv fit-tmexxija tal-pajjiż. Din hi xi ħaġa li l-Partit Nazzjonalista emmen meta kien fil-Gvern, u allura wettaq rivoluzzjoni ta’ aċċess ta’ servizzi tal-Gvern onlajn. Pero’ mhux biss. Kien beda jagħti liċ-ċittadin aċċess dirett għal proċess tat-teħid tad-deċiżjonijiet. Il-websajt tal-Parlament tagħti aċċess għas-seduti, għal proposti ta’ liġijiet, għal dak li jitpoġġa fuq il-mejda tal-kamra u għar-risposti tal-mistoqsijiet parlamentari. U dan il-kunċett anke’ fl-aħħar programm elettorali proponejna li nwessgħuh, bil-kunċett tal-pjattaforma Ideat, fejn iċ-ċittadin b’mod dirett jagħmel il-proposti tiegħu mill-kumdità ta’ daru. Anzi, noħlom li naslu f’punt fejn anke’ l-proċessi tal-għażliet ta’ tenders, id-dikjarazzjonijiet tal-assi tal-Ministri, u ħafna deċiżjonijiet oħra jkunu aċċessibbli fuq l-internet, biex iċ-ċittadin ikollu aċċess dirett għall-informazzjoni ta’ kif qed titħaddem id-demokrazija ta’ pajjiżu, li fl-aħħar mill-aħħar huwa hu bħala ċittadin li hu sovran fuqha.

Sfortunatament, wara l-elezzjoni rajna li f’dan ir-rigward għamilna pass lura flok ‘il quddiem. L-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar (PA), iddeċidiet li tibdel is-sit elettroniku tagħha www.pa.org.mt, bl-iskuża li dan ħa jiġi ‘rinnovat’. Iżda flok dan ġie rinnovat biex jagħmilha eħfef għaċ-ċittadin li jsib l-informazzjoni li jrid, għamilha itqal. Flok għamilna pass ‘il quddiem biex permezz tal-internet ikollna demokrazija aktar trasparenti u aktar qrib iċ-ċittadin, għamilnihielu aktar diffiċli u ħbejna l-informazzjoni.

Fis-sit kif kien qabel, kien ħafna eħfef tkun taf x’applikazzjonijiet hemm pendenti fil-lokalità tiegħek. Anke’ aħna bħala Kunsilliera Lokali, stajna nidħlu fis-sit u nfittxu direttament l-applikazzjonijiet pendenti u l-azzjonijiet ta’ infurzar fil-lokal tagħna, biex fejn inħossu li għandna nagħmlu oġġezzjoni quddiem l-Awtorità nressquha.

Is-sit il-ġdid kien qed iħallik biss tfittex bin-numru PA tal-applikazzjoni. Jiġifieri trid tkun rajt in-notifika mwaħħla mas-sit fejn ħa jsir ix-xogħol, ħadt nota tan-numru tal-applikazzjoni, u tfittex bih. Fejn qabel xi ħadd kien jgħidli li saret applikazzjoni fi triq partikolari, u stajt immedjatament infittexx l-applikazzjonijiet f’dik it-triq u nara x’jinvolvi, issa ma stajtx. Issa ridt immur fuq il-post nikkopja n-numru. U jekk ħadd ma jkun ra n-notifika mwaħħla mal-post u ġibidli l-attenzjoni, jgħaddi ż-żmien fejn fih tista’ tagħmel l-oġġezzjonijiet tiegħek u tittieħed id-deċiżjoni mingħajr ma tkun stajt issemma’ leħnek.

Fortunatament grazzi għal pressjoni li saret fuq il-media indipendenti u NGOs bħal Front Ħarsien ODZ, din id-deċiżjoni ġiet irtirata u s-sit reġa’ żied il-possibilità li wieħed ifittex lokalità jew triq partikolari.

Ma nafx hux kumbinazzjoni li waqt din ir-“rinovazzjoni” tas-sit, ma dehritx l-applikazzjoni tal-American University of Malta biex jiżviluppaw iż-Żonqor, u bdiet tidher biss riċentament. U ma nafx hux kumbinazzjoni wkoll li ġiet mniżżla taħt l-iżviluppi “inside development zone” meta kulħadd jaf li l-parti kbira minnha tinsab f’zona ODZ.

Dan mhux il-mod kif jiġi trattat iċ-ċittadin fis-sena 2017, fejn l-informazzjoni l-aktar importanti għal proċess demokratiku trasparenti għandu jkun kapaċi jsibha immedjatament fuq il-ponot ta’ subgħajh.


Dan l-artiklu deher fil-Mument tal-Ħadd 10 ta' Settembru 2017.

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