PL not yet registered as political party, Electoral Commission confirms

With around a year to go until the upcoming general election, the Labour Party has yet to register itself as a political party, the Electoral Commission has confirmed.

In a statement, it said that four political parties – namely the Nationalist Party, Partit Demokratiku, Alternattiva Demokratika and Moviment Patrijotti Maltin – have successfully registered themselves as political parties as per the party financing law.

The Labour Party had applied to be registered within the stipulated timeframe, but its application was turned down after the Electoral Commission realized that its statute went against the law.

“The Labour Party was informed about this situation and was asked to adhere to the legal provisions,” it said. “We are now awaiting the party to provide us with an emended statute that conforms to the law.”

The Electoral Commission also confirmed that no party can register itself on a temporary basis.

The PN in a statement said that the Commission’s statement proves that Labour was lying when it said that it has registered itself on a temporary basis.

“Labour broke the party financing law as it didn’t register with the Electoral Commission, and it has now been caught in a lie by the same Commission,” it said.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told MaltaToday on Thursday that Labour Party will be registering itself as a political party with the Electoral Commission as soon as changes to its statute are approved during the party’s annual general meeting in April.

Muscat said that the party was asked by the Electoral Commission to clarify what would happen to the party’s assets if the Labour Party were to be dissolved.

The four registered parties have all attached a list of their donations of over €5,000 received throughout 2016, as required by the party financing law.

The commission confirmed that the reports will be published after the government publishes regulations that stipulate the date and format through which they must be made accessible.