The Democratic Party's deputy leader Timothy Alden will contest next month's local councils election as an independent candidate after his own party left him off their official list of candidates.   

Democratic Party deputy leader Timothy AldenDemocratic Party deputy leader Timothy Alden

Mr Alden told Times of Malta he had been "very frustrated" when he discovered that although he had correctly submitted his candidature to the electoral commission to run for the Sliema local council, a member of the PD team had accidentally left his name out of a list of candidates on the orange ticket. 

"I will therefore be listed as Timothy Alden 'tal-oranġjo', but I won't be on the PD list. Naturally if elected I will represent the PD on the Sliema local council," he said, describing the incident as a "cosmetic annoyance".   

'A clerical error' 

The situation might actually have turned out to be far worse. He said that on Tuesday he had been contacted by the electoral commission and told he may not be allowed to contest at all. 

Mr Alden said he had appealed to the electoral commission to rectify the matter, however, was informed that the lists had already been finalised by the time the matter had been brought to their attention.  

In the end he was allowed to run, but not as a PD candidate.  

On Friday the PD issued a statement informing the electorate that following "a clerical error", the Electoral Commission had decided that Mr Alden would be running as an independent candidate on the ballot sheet.

The PD said it remained foursquare behind its deputy leader in his election campaign.

"If elected, Mr Alden will act as the official representative and councillor of Partit Demokratiku in Sliema, putting the interests of the residents of the locality first," PD said.  

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