Updated: Norman Lowell submits nomination for EP election

The leader of the right-wing Imperium Europa party, Norman Lowell, has submitted his nomination to contest the European Parliament elections. His name was included in the list of nominations issued this evening by the Electoral Commission.

Mr Lowell was last year convicted of inciting racial hatred and insulting the President of Malta in speeches in Rabat and Qawra in 2006, carried on the internet. He was eventually given a two-year jail term suspended for four years and fined €500.

An appeal from the sentence was dismissed last October and a Constitutional application where Mr Lowell argued that he was denied the right to a fair hearing by the appeals court, was dismissed last week.

Mr Lowell contested the European Parliament elections in 2004, winning 1,603 votes.

Another 14 MEP hopefuls also submitted their nomination at the offices of the Electoral Commission today.

They were : Claudette Abela Baldacchino, John Attard Montalto, Ruben Attard, Glenn Bedingfield, Maria Camilleri, David Casa, Mary Gauci, Louis Grech, Roberta Metsola Tedesco Triccas, Kirill Micallef Stafrace, Maria Mizzi, Joseph Muscat, Edward Scicluna and Christian Zammit.

Eleven candidates submitted their nomination on Saturday.

The Electoral Commission will continue to receive nominations until Monday.

The list of candidates only becomes official after the expiry of a period reserved for objections. However a spokesman for the Electoral Commission explained today that Mr Lowell could still submit his nomination in view of amendments made last year which provide that people who are under a suspended sentence are not struck pff the electoral register.