Updated: Norman Lowell, Bezzina, file judicial protest over candidates' spending

European Parliament election candidates Norman Lowell and Emy Bezzina have filed a judicial protest calling for an investigation to ensure that legal provisions limiting election spending by candidates were observed in the EP elections.

The protest was filed against the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Foreign Minister, the Attorney General, the Chief Electoral Commissioner, the Police Commissioner, the European Commission representative office and the Office of the European Parliament office in Malta.

Dr Bezzina said that such investigations could only be launched at the request of the Attorney General and they were therefore asking the Attorney General to do his duty and order the Police Commissioner to investigate candidates' expenditure.

Should that not happen, Dr Bezzina said, a court case would be instituted.

Mr Lowell and Dr Bezzina said a number of candidates appeared to have broken the law which limits candidates' spending to €18,635.

Should the law have been broken, the election should be annulled, in terms of the Electoral Law, and held once more, Mr Lowell and Dr Bezzina said. None of the elected MPs should be sworn in before the investigation was concluded.

They said they were asking the authorities to investigate all spending including advertising and promotion on newspapers, online , mailshots and billboards.

The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition were being asked to disassociate themselves from these alleged abuses.

"A few people, bought, or stole, the election, they stole the country's political destiny," Mr Lowell said "This is a plutocracy, a government by the rich for the rich," he argued.

He also called on the President to take action, saying this was his first political test.

"This election is not over yet," Mr Lowell said.

The issue was sparked by a series of articles in The Sunday Times which started even before the EP elections. The newspaper has since shown that at least eight EP candidates appeared to have exceeded the spending cap.

The Sunday Times has also been insisting that the elected candidates account for their spending, but they have so far refused to do so.

The latest story, published yesterday, can be seen on the following link:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090705/local/candidates-take-expenses-oath-while-meps-remain-silent