Former Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Michael Briguglio today reiterated his belief that AD should join the coalition being led by the Nationalist Party and which also includes the Partit Demokratiku.

In a blog post today, Dr Briguglio said this would help create a national democratic force to defeat the Labour Party, which had been hijacked by the Panama Papers gang, in the upcoming general elections. Corruption was over determining Labour’s style of governance and Malta was facing a political and constitutional crisis with trust in institutions being eroded.

Moreover, this was the only way for third party candidates to have a real chance of being elected to Parliament.

“Given that candidates from different parties will be on the same list, the 'wasted vote' preoccupation of many voters will be defeated, and votes for separate parties will not be split to Labour's advantage. This is because votes given to candidates from different parties but on the same party list will be counted together as one group,” he said.

Dr Briguglio warns that if AD did not join the coalition, it risked fading into irrelevance.

He said that the agreement reached between the PN and the PD was sensible, realistic, proportionate and a genuine compromise.