The government is to move an amendment to the Electoral Law so that all those who would be away from Malta on June 6 would be able to cast their vote for the European Parliament and local council elections on the Saturday before.

The Department of Information said Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had written to the Electoral Commission to inform it of the government’s plans.

Dr Gonzi said the government disagreed with a proposal by the Commission to charter a plane to bring to Malta those Maltese athletes who would be in Cyprus for the Small Nations’ Games. The commission had proposed bringing the athletes to vote on election day, and flying them back.

Earlier the PL had proposed flying a ballot box to Cyprus.

Dr Gonzi said such actions discriminated against Maltese who would be away from Malta for other valid reasons.

In another letter to the commission, Dr Gonzi said that with regard to reduced air fares provided by Air Malta to enable Maltese abroad to come to Malta to vote, the government felt that the same procedure should be followed as for the 2004 EP elections.

However since those registered to vote had to be listed in the next electoral register, the airline could not start its preparations before the register was published.

The commission had earlier told the government that if the usual practice was to be followed, the directive to Air Malta should be issued earlier than before.

Alternattiva Demokratika in a statement said it agreed wiht the government's proposal on early voting.