Updated 4.35pm with government statement

The Nationalist Party today took to the courts to demand that Identity Malta hand over a list of all those eligible to vote in Malta.

Addressing journalists after filing a judicial protest, PN Secretary General Clyde Puli said the government agency had for 18 months failed in its legal obligation to hand over the data to the Electoral Commission.

The law laid down that Identity Malta, as the government agency responsible for passports and ID cards, had to hand the Electoral Commission information related to potential voters every month. The commission would then hand such information to the political parties for their scrutiny. 

But the Electoral Commission had repeatedly asked the agency to provide the information. A meeting had also been held at the Auberge de Castille, but nothing was done.

This made the government an accomplice in violation of the law, Mr Puli said. This, he continued, impacted the transparency of the election process. There were potentially hundreds of voters the PN was not aware of.

Mr Puli said the PN would give Identity Malta 10 days to hand over all the data, before taking further action.

Malta is set to take to the polls next year for the MEP and local council elections.

Speaking on Sunday, Opposition leader Adrian Delia said the Electoral Commission wrote to Identity Malta multiple times, but Identity Malta only sent documentation with missing information.

The information relates to people listed on the electoral register particularly in view of the granting of citizenship, as well as about people struck off the register.

The Nationalist Party has a legal right to receive this information from the commission, Dr Delia said.

PN remains against investment - government

In a statement, the government said it was acting in line with the Individual Investor Programme legislation approved by parliament and the European Commission.

The legislation stipulated that the list of people who become citizens should be published once a year.

It accused the Opposition of remaining against all type of investment attracted to Malta.