PN says 'defective' Labour motion led to disenfranchisement of votes

Adds new detail on commission members who first voted in favour of extended voters list

The Labour party says the Electoral Commission’s referendum writ published yesterday means that those who turned 18 after 1 October 2010 will not be available to vote in the 28 May divorce referendum.

Labour said this will affect 2,800 voters who are of voting age.

“The electoral commissioners nominated by the Opposition had proposed a solution that would permit the inclusion of these youths in the referendum.

“The resolution approved in parliament allows the Commission to publish the writ on 18 April after the President signs the writ within 15 days of publication. This would have allowed all those who turned 18 after 31 March 2011 to vote,” the PL said in a statement.

Labour said the Commission had first agreed on this system but then the commissioners appointed by the Nationalist party changed their position.

In another statement, Labour said the Electoral Commission accepted the Opposition’s proposal had been accepted by the members appointed by the Prime Minister. “Two commission members nominated by the Prime Minister voted in favour, another voted against, and one was absent.

“After this clear decision, there was a rethink from this side of the commission and the decision was then overturned.”

The news was met with the condemnation of the pro-divorce lobby Moviment Iva, but the PN said in a statement that it was the result of Labour's parliamentary motion.

“We condemn this move… it could have been avoided by publishing the writ in mid-April," Moviment Iva said. "We condemn this decision to deny the democratic rights of thousands of youths on such an important matter for their lives and our society.”

But the Nationalist Party reacted saying that the Opposition wants to “play around with the electoral law” so that the referendum writ is not published immediately as and when it is presented to the electoral commissioner.

“It’s the Opposition’s incompetence that is denying these youths their votes,” the PN said in a statement.

“It was Joseph Muscat’s motion that was approved on 16 March that established that the President’s writ would be signed within 15 days of the motion’s approval, that is not later than 31 March.

“So it is Muscat who is responsible for this defect in his motion. The PN denies the allegation it denies 2,800 youths their votes.”

The PN said electoral law is clear on the fact that when the President signs a writ this gets published immediately by the Electoral Commission, and cannot be delayed for three weeks as claimed by Labour.

“Not only has Labour proposed a misleading referendum question and denied the vote to these new voters, but it shows that it is ready to manipulate the country’s electoral system… it would have been a manouevre that creates a dangerous precedent.”

“We’ll have an anomalous situation where the new electoral register will be published in April, but the referendum will only have voters registered in the previous electoral roll. 2,800 voters will lose their rights. It’s an anti-democratic decision by Lawrence Gonzi’s party.”

Alternattiva Demokratika secretary-general Ralph Cassar said Malta does not have a voting system for Maltese living in foreign countries, and called for an efficient voter registration system rather than a system controlled by PN and PL which is issued twice a year.

"In other countries, eligible voters can register their voting document even on election day. Today, with information technology and with the fact that every Maltese citizen has an identity number this process would be much easier. However, neither PN nor PL were ever interested in strengthening participative democracy in Malta, and only spoke up when the issue was advantageous to them.

"The Maltese youth have to fight against this tribal system. Moreover, the Electoral Commission chosen by PN and PL is allowing only PN and PL observing the election process.”
 

The Electoral Commission is set up by the Constitution and members are appointed by the President acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister. The Commission is an autonomous body and not subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.

The present members of the Commission are Saviour Gauci, chairman; Dr Joseph Buttigieg, Mario Callus, Salvu Fenech, Vanni Ganado, Salvu Sant, Tony Sultana, Dr Ray Zammit, Dr Joe Zammit Maempel.