Carmel Cacopardo to be next Alternattiva Demokratika chairperson

Alternattiva Demokratika’s deputy chairperson Carmel Cacopardo will be elected leader of the Green Party, as the sole contender for the post to replace outgoing chairperson Arnold Cassola.

The Greens will hold their AGM on Saturday.

Mario Mallia and Ralph Cassar are the sole contenders for deputy chairperson, and secretary-general respectively.

AD registered 0.8% of the national vote in the 2017 elections, similar to its 2008 showing, but lost over half of its 1.8% registered in the 2013 elections.

Arnold Cassola, who was twice chairperson of the party, is not seeking re-election for any of the posts in the AD executive committee.

The party had refused to join the Forza Nazzjonali ‘coalition’ that saw the Democratic Party’s candidates run on the Nationalist Party ticket. The move returned former Labour MPs Marlene Farrugia, the outgoing PD leader, and Godfrey Farrugia, to parliament.

The PD is itself seeking a new leader, who is expected to be deputy leader Anthony Buttigieg.

Other posts in the AD executive committee include that of deputy secretary-general Anna Azzopardi, international secretary Danika Formosa, treasurer Simon Galea, PRO Luke Caruana, and members Marc Andrea Cassar and James Gabarretta.