MPs spar in parliament over Siġġiewi ghost voters case

In a sitting characterised by point of orders, shouting and allegations, parliamentarians debated on the Siġġiewi ghost voters case hours after a court decision earlier on Wednesday.

A number of Opposition and government MPs spoke about the case after the magistrate overseeing the case ordered the police to investigate and identify the public officials and entities who had manipulated voters into changing their address to a Siġġiewi construction site ahead of the upcoming local council and EU elections.

The order was handed down by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, in her capacity as the Revisory Official in several cases filed by the PN, in which the party is requesting the revocation of the recent changes in address of several voters.

Last week, Magistrate Frendo Dimech had conducted an in-person site visit to see for herself before taking into account the PN’s claim that the Binja Silvio Parnis housing project in Siggiewi, where 99 voters from other districts had been registered as residing, was actually uninhabitable.

‘An abusive government’ – Ivan Bartolo

Nationalist MP Ivan Bartolo was the first to speak about the case, slamming government’s “abuse” in forcing the residents of the social housing complex to switch their ID cards to Siġġiewi, in what he claimed was a case of gerrymandering.

He said this was carried out in an attempt by the Labour Party to secure a local council majority come next election. In 2019, the PL won a majority of seats in Siġġiewi for the first time in local election history. It was a razor thin victory that saw the PL obtain a mere 70 votes more than the Nationalist Party. The PL is hoping to repeat the feat, while the PN has made it one of its election targets to win back the council.

He also quoted the minister’s earlier statements in saying that residents were both Labourites and Nationalists. “So is the minister saying they have a list of people marked red and blue according to what they vote in order to make this statement?”

Galdes immediately raised a point of order, asking the Speaker to order Bartolo to substantiate the claims that Labour had such a list. Bartolo retorted by saying he was “just quoting what the minister had said.”

Bartolo said his criticism should not be interpreted as the PN not being in favour of social housing projects. “We are against electoral fraud.”

Ryan Callus recalls moment he found empty block during house visit

Opposition MP Ryan Callus also spoke about the case, recalling how back in April, after the electoral registry was published, he and other MPs had gone to the site for house visits, only to find a building which was still under construction.

“There were no meters, dust everywhere and workers,” he told parliament.

He went on to accuse government of scheming in order to secure a majority in the upcoming local council elections. “Not even a rental agreement was signed. This has all the makings of a corrupt government.”

Callus also accused the government of taking over the country’s institutions, quoting from today’s judgment where a witness from the Identita’ agency had confirmed that it had been officials from Malita’s CEO Jennifer Falzon who had contacted Identita' to send officials on site to meet the persons allocated apartments in the block, “precisely inside room 711 in entrance 7,” in order to change their ID card address.

“Now who will shoulder the responsibility for forcing people to sign these false declarations?” he said.  

Nationalist MP Albert Buttigieg, who was formerly Housing Authority CEO, debunked what he claimed were “false declarations and spin” by government on the lack of social housing blocks built by Nationalist governments.

He quoted a number of figures which he said showed the Nationalist government’s work in the sector.

‘You have the courts, we have the people’ – Housing Minister

Delivering the winding up speech, Minister Roderick Galdes accused the Opposition of intimidating prospective residents of the social housing block/

“This is the party of the establishment,” he said, slamming MP Karol Aquilina’s “threats” in court during today’s court sitting. “You have power in the courts, but we have the people’s trust.”

He went on to say that the Opposition was against the project, and thinks it can “win Siġġiewi by right”.

Galdes mentioned a number of social housing projects carried out by government over the past years, saying he will “continue to deliver”.

“I will continue to deliver on our electoral pledges, and build social housing,” he concluded.