'What we have been offered is assimilation, not a coalition,' Cassola claims

Alternattiva Demokratika remains open to form a coalition ahead of the 2018 election, but what is currently being proposed is a full assimilation of the Greens into another party and not a coalition, party chairman Arnold Cassola said on Saturday. 

Cassola, who was speaking at the end of the party's poorly attended annual general meeting, said that AD understood a coalition to mean the coming together of two or more parties to present a common electoral programme under a new common party name and symbol. 

"Each party would maintain its identity but would join forces with others under a common name," he said. "But what is being proposed is assimilation and not a coalition, as what is being suggested is that AD candidates join another party list." 

In recent weeks, there has been growing talk of AD and MP Marlene Farrugia’s nascent Democratic Party forming a coalition with the Nationalist Party, with former Green Party leader Michael Briguglio arguing that this was the only way of getting smaller parties elected in Parliament. 

In a veiled attack on the PN’s track record, Cassola said that AD’s coalition partner would also need to be a perfect example of good governance and would need to clear any doubts about its integrity that seem to arise nearly every week. 

He also hit out at the Labour Party for ostensibly refusing to register with the Electoral Commission and to adhere to the party financing legislation.

On the other hand, Cassola said, the Nationalist Party was wrong to try and justify large corporate donations as being payment for services rendered by its commercial arm, since party financing legislation made it clear that commercial subsidiaries were included.  

"This party (AD) definitely does not have any hidden donations or money paid for services to some subsidiary commercial entity," he said. "We have also remained consistent and true to our values throughout our existence."

In another barb to the PN – whose MP Toni Bezzina retracted an application to build an ODZ villa - Cassola said that the AD was against ODZ development, so its members would not then go and build in ODZ areas.

"If we are against a project given in concession to the Seabank Group, we do not then go and represent them in negotiations with the government," he said. 

Cassola said that AD's environmental values and policies were drawn up with the wellbeing of future generations in mind. 

The party also remained committed to a social justice that protected the weak and would continue to question decisions that saw a minister's wife be given €13,000 a month or a development group given a seven-year interest-free period to pay a mere €10 million concession. 

Cassola called for 'legal' donations to ensure the AD could present a viable alternative to Joseph Muscat or Simon Busuttil. 

"We are offering our availability to contribute to a much-needed change in the country," he said.