AD favours an amendment in the electoral law, whereby Maltese living abroad can register at their nearest embassy or consulate and vote there on Election Day.

Addressing a news conference this morning, AD spokesman on EU and international affairs Arnold Cassola said the Prime Minister had all the necessary Constitutional powers to reconvene Parliament to amend the electoral law

Prof. Cassola said it was scandalous that hospitals’ and old people's homes directors were being obliged to give a daily list of patients and inmates to the political parties until the day of the election.

“This is a clear breach of sick and old people's privacy. All that is needed is just one final list around three to four days before election day so that the electoral commission can organise the voting in the respective hospitals and homes."

AD deputy chairman Carmel Cacopardo said the large sums of money being spent in the current campaign again raised the question as to who was financing the large political parties.

“From the little expense incurred by AD we can understand that both the PN and the PL are spending millions of euros which are certainly not derived from the marathon collection sprees organised on the political TV stations last December.

“In this context it is easily understood why the PN led government was in no hurry to legislate on the regulation of financing of politics, both of the individual parties and the candidates. Simultaneously Parliament during the current legislature kept voting an annual sum to the parliamentary political parties.”

Mr Cacopardo said AD was committed to legislation which would make it compulsory for parties to declare donations in excess of €5,000 annually as well as to prohibit donations from people or companies in excess of €40,000 annually.

He spoke on AD’s access to television broadcasting and stated that AD was not satisfied with the time it was allotted.

AD was asking for more airtime than the few minutes it was currently allowed on current affairs TV programmes on PBS.

“We are also insisting that the political stations adhere to the Broadcasting Authority directive issued in February last year relative to the electoral campaign.

“During the first week of the electoral campaign both NET and ONE have failed to stick to the directive and as a result AD yesterday requested a remedy from the Broadcasting Authority.”