Despite Brexit, some 6,000 UK nationals who live in Malta will still be able to take part in the forthcoming council elections, thanks to a special agreement which predates Malta’s accession to the EU in 2004.
Previously Times of Malta had quoted an Electoral Commission spokesman saying that only those on the EU electoral register would have this right. Consequently, this would have meant that come March 29 when the UK will leave the EU, Britons would lose this right as they wold be struck off this register.
However, this will not be the case. The matter was flagged by Opposition Whip Robert Cutajar, who contacted Times of Malta to point out that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had given this guarantee himself in parliament last month.
Mr Cutajar noted that on January 23, he had asked for a clarification on the matter during a debate on Brexit. According to the transcripts of this exchange, Dr Muscat had pointed out that Britons would still be able to contest and vote in council elections. This is due to the fact that a pre-EU accession agreement between Malta and the UK will be revived, Dr Muscat said.
Under this agreement, Britons were given this right, while the Maltese living in the UK had the right to contest council elections. This privilege was also granted to Cyprus, in view of the fact that both countries were members of the Commonwealth, the Prime Minister had said.
Furthermore, Dr Muscat had noted that Maltese and Cypriot citizens were the only EU nationals who also had the right to vote in UK general elections, and had even voted in the Brexit referendum.
Asked for a clarification on the matter, the Electoral Commission spokesman said that they had taken note of the issue.