Alternattiva Demokratika welcomed the law on party financing, something it had been insisting upon since its inception in 1989 but said it did not believe the Electoral Commission could be an impartial regulator.

“We made this point right from the moment when the White Paper was presented and we were satisfied to see that, consequently, even the Nationalist Party agreed with this and adopted our position.

"It is being said that the Electoral Commission has always acted correctly during general elections.

“What is not said is that the Electoral Commission acts accordingly because it is obliged to do so by laws that do not allow it any discretion.”

Whenever the commission used its discretion it always did according to the political majority in its composition, reflecting the government of the day.

This, general secretary Ralph Cassar said, did not augur well for the good functioning of the law on party financing since it did not make any sense that eight out of nine members were appointed by the party in government or in Opposition while the chairman was appointed by the party in government.