Updated 4.10pm - MCAST statement 

MCAST is to hold fresh student council elections in a number of institutes, after yesterday's election was marred by discrepancies in the number of votes cast.

In a statement, the college said that following a "preliminary investigation", it had decided to annul election results for institutes where "discrepancies were found during the reconciliation of registered students and votes cast."

In institutes where no discrepancies were registered, votes would be counted as normal, MCAST said. 

The college said it would be investigating the matter further and take "appropriate measures". Student bodies which contested the elections would be invited to a meeting scheduled for next week to discuss the matter further, the college said. 

The decision came mere hours after Studenti Demokristjani Maltin had called for Kunsill Studenti MCAST election to be declared null and void and for a new electoral process is initiated.

In a statement, SDM expressed concern at the election, which it said carried a number of irregularities.

“Our disappointment lies in the fact that, despite discrepancies between the number votes in the ballot boxes and those issued by the registry, the chief electoral commissioner, Samwel Ebejer, chose to move forward with the counting process.

“Our concerns were further exacerbated when three ballot boxes did not include a registry so the number of votes in them could not be compared with the confirmed number coming from the registry…

“Among other irregularities, we are concerned about the fact that one of the ballot boxes was not even sealed and that no official turnouts were published throughout the day by the Electoral Commission.”

SDM also said that although voting was opened on Wednesday for students who might have had a placement on Thursday, all students were allowed to vote on Wednesday.