People don't see need for AD on councils - Cassola

The outcome of the local council elections was "another disappointing result" for Alternattiva Demokratika as people preferred to vote for the two major political parties, the Green party's chairman Arnold Cassola said yesterday.

"It seems like people are no longer voting for the smaller parties and steering away from cross voting... People are saying that they do not see the necessity for AD's presence in their local councils and we respect their decision," he said as he thanked those who believed in the party.

Since the party was set up some 20 years ago, it has been struggling to break the politically bipolar trend in Malta where people tend to vote for the Nationalist or Labour Party and resist the possibility of a third party.

This year the PL won a majority of the 55 per cent of the votes cast compared with the PN's 44 per cent. AD only managed to clinch just over one per cent of valid votes despite contesting in three localities compared to 1.8 per cent of the overall vote obtained from just two localities in the last round of these elections.

This poor showing echoed that of the MEP elections when last week it emerged that AD won 2.34 per cent of votes - only a quarter of the number of people who voted for it in 2004.

Prof. Cassola has announced he will step down from party chairman in October when his term expires.

Speaking about the local council elections, Prof. Cassola said he had not expected the party to lose its Sliema seat where Michael Briguglio had worked hard and his work was recognised.

Mr Briguglio obtained 457 first count votes, or 5.73 per cent of valid votes. This was a dismal result for the councillor who had been elected in previous two elections. In 2006 he had obtained 10.3 per cent of valid votes and in 2003 he garnered 7.3 per cent.

AD's candidate in Għarb, Victor Galea, garnered 99 first-count votes but was eliminated after he fell short by just five votes. He obtained 11.97 per cent of valid votes in his locality.

Mario Mallia, who contested Birkirkara, obtained 448 votes amounting to 3.47 per cent.

The party also lost its seats in Sannat were John Michael Mizzi had been elected in 2006. This year, however, there was no AD candidate as Mr Mizzi contested for the Labour Party.