Right to vote
I read with interest Mario Spiteri's contribution "AD's stance goes against the grain" (February 21) since I myself am a citizen of Malta who has been denied the right to vote by Malta's electoral system. But unlike Mr Spiteri, I feel that Arnold...
I read with interest Mario Spiteri's contribution "AD's stance goes against the grain" (February 21) since I myself am a citizen of Malta who has been denied the right to vote by Malta's electoral system. But unlike Mr Spiteri, I feel that Arnold Cassola and Alternattiva Demokratika are also fighting for me and others like me. This is not the first time that AD have spoken for the voting rights of Maltese citizens living abroad.
Most of us are not in a position to put up a fight for our voting rights. Distance and the costs involved, weighed against the chances of success, discourage anyone from taking the issue to court. Dr Cassola's action has certainly put this undemocratic piece of legislation in the European spotlight. I am truly encouraged by the statements of all European political party secretaries-general condemning this practice. The remarks of Pat Cox, president of the European Parliament, that "the right to vote is entrenched in the European Convention on Human Rights of which Malta is a party" fills me with hope.
If Dr Cassola wins his case he also wins for me and all those who have been denied our rights as citizens of the country, by archaic legislation and an even more archaic Labour Party.