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MLP does not trust electoral commission

By a Staff Reporter

The Labour party has remained conspicuously silent on the controversy related to the composition of the electoral commission, which came to a head last year, despite gearing up for the forthcoming local elections.

But when asked by MaltaToday yesterday, Labour leader Alfred Sant reiterated the party’s stance that it has no trust in the electoral commission.

"How can we trust a commission whose members are totally appointed by the Prime Minister?" Dr Sant replied.

However, the Opposition leader did not say that he had no trust in the electoral process. The party would, he said, be monitoring the running of the local elections and speak out if necessary.

The electoral commission is legally entrusted with the running of elections. It is composed of eight members and a chairman. The Opposition normally nominates four of the members. But following the resignation of the MLP’s four representatives last year and the party’s reluctance to substitute them, the Prime Minister had appointed four people of his choice to fill the vacant seats.

Dr Fenech Adami’s decision had raised the Labour party’s ire because the electoral commission was composed solely of people who enjoyed the trust of the Prime minister.

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