The Electoral Office is discriminating against EU citizens residing in Malta and who would like to register as voters for the forthcoming European Parliament elections next June, Alternattiva Demokratika, the Green Party claimed yesterday.

EU citizens are being told that it is not possible for them to register at this stage, Arnold Cassola, AD chairman said.

With a view to addressing this problem, Stephen Cachia, AD deputy chairman, has written to the head of the European Parliament Office in Malta, expressing the party's concern about the manner in which the Electoral Office is handling the registration of EU citizens for voting in next year's European Parliament elections.

Mr Cachia pointed out that the EU residents are being told that the office "might" issue a mail shot in January and that it will receive applications from next January for inclusion in the electoral register issued next April.

But, he said, this is a discriminatory administrative decision since Maltese citizens may register in the forthcoming October national electoral register and automatically be included in the EP elections register next April while other EU nationals still cannot register to vote for the EP elections if they choose to do so.