Bonnici edges Barbara by six votes to win MUT election

Following an exhaustive campaign – postponed because of the general election – and fraught with accusations, allegations and judicial protests, Marco Bonnici has been elected to be the new president of the Malta Union of Teachers.

Bonnici won 1,200 votes while Franklin Barbara, who also contested the election for the same post, trailed behind by only six votes, ending up with 1,194.

In a brief statement, the MUT said the votes had been confirmed by the Election Board and that the full results for the posts of president, senior vice-president and the council seats would be issued in due course.

The hard-fought election – which also featured extensive online and social media advertising by the candidates – was originally scheduled for the beginning of April but were put off after all the members of the electoral board resigned, without citing any reasons.

It was then postponed again once the 3 June general election was announced, with the council deciding not to have its candidates campaigning during the general election campaign.

Barbara and a number of other candidates running for other posts had approached MaltaToday at the end of April, concerned by a number of episodes that they claimed put into question the good faith of certain members of the council and the fairness of the entire electoral process.

Barbara, the union’s secretary general, said he could not understand why his decision to contest the post of president had been met by such hostility.

“And even if MUT president Kevin Bonello said he was impartial, I believe that in certain instances he was biased, or gave that impression,” he had said. “I can honestly say that I have led a positive campaign of empowerment for all educators.”

Barbara and the other candidates had said they were not given a list of registered voters, their proposal proposal to have each candidate rubber stamp each vote had been turned down, and that the executive council had refused to present a certified account of the number of ballots printed.

Outgoing MUT presidend Kevin Bonello had that many of the requests put forward by Barbara had been acceded to.

“Unfortunately, Mr Barbara only came up with objections and additions to the long established process well after he nominated himself for candidacy, precisely a few hours before the election board starting processing the vote documents,” he told MaltaToday.