With Alternattiva Demokratika, the green party, electing two councillors and winning 4.5 per cent of the vote in the 10 localities it contested, its chairman, Michael Briguglio, welcomed the result of Saturday’s election.

Mr Briguglio was elected to the Sliema council, regaining the seat he lost in 2008, and Ralph Cassar was re-elected to the Attard council.

“With an average of 4.5 per cent of the votes in the 10 localities we contested, the other parties cannot dismiss us,” Mr Briguglio said.

He expressed disappointment because the party failed to elect its candidates in Swieqi, where it won a council seat last time round, and Munxar, where its candidate obtained more than eight per cent of the vote.

Mr Briguglio said AD’s councillors would act as a bridge between the two major parties and ensure the councils served the residents and not people with financial interests such as contractors and speculators.

“The result we achieved on Saturday is a great encouragement for us for the general election,” he said.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com