The nominations being received until this morning for the vacated seat on the St Julian’s local council is to a certain extent a continuation of the 2019 vote counting process which will lead to the a re-opening of vote packets cast that day.
When addressing the media, outside the offices of the Electoral Commission at Naxxar, ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said: “I am submitting my nomination with deference to the voters. As a party we have always insisted that each vote carries more weight than that imposed by the political parties. Contrary to that advocated by the other political parties we have always encouraged “cross party voting” – that is that one does not vote in a restricted manner but appreciates through his/her vote candidates beyond the political party list on which they contest.
Some voters do exercise this right. In fact, when the St Julian’s Local Council election votes were counted in 2019, 6.33% of the votes obtained by Albert Buttigieg had transferred on the second count to other parties than that on whose list he had contested. This may be repeated during the by-election as is most often the case in local council elections.
It is not known how the votes cast are spread. The numbers are small and the full quota consisting of just 390 votes.
The end result will be determined by the number of voters that recognised the power of their vote. If the number of those who exercised their right to cross-party vote is not enough, then the party which had nominated Albert Buttigieg will fill in his replacement.
“On my part, I feel honoured that I have been given an opportunity to serve. Independently from the result, I have fulfilled my duty,” concluded Cacopardo.
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Carmel Cacopardo jitfa’ n-nomina għal post battal fuq il-kunsill lokali ta’ San Ġiljan
Il-proċess tan-nominazzjonijiet għall-post battal fuq il-Kunsill Lokali ta’ San Ġiljan li jagħlaq illum, sa ċertu punt hu kontinwazzjoni tal-proċess tal-għadd tal-voti tal-2019 għax iwassal biex jinfetħu mill-ġdid il-pakketti tal-voti ta’ dakinnhar.
Meta indirizza lill-istampa iċ-Chairperson tal-ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo, fin-Naxxar ħdejn l-uffiċini tal-Kummissjoni Elettorali, qal: “Qed nitfa’ in-nominazzjoni tiegħi b’rispett lejn il-votanti. Aħna bħala partit dejjem sħaqna li l-vot hu b’saħħtu biżżejjed biex jintuża lilhinn mil-limiti mposti mill-partiti politiċi l-oħra. Kuntrarju għall-partiti l-oħra aħna dejjem inkoraġġejna dak li nsejħulu “cross party voting” jiġifieri li l-vot ma jkunx eserċitat b’mod restrittiv iżda b’mod li jagħti apprezzament lill-kandidati kollha lilhinn mill-kulur politiku li miegħu huma assoċjati.
Uħud mill-votanti dan jagħmluh. Fil-fatt, meta ġew mgħaduda l-voti fl-elezzjoni tal-2019 għall-Kunsill Lokali ta’ San Ġiljan, fit-tieni għadd tal-voti, 6.33% tal-voti miksuba mill-kandidat Albert Buttigieg kienu jkomplu fuq partiti, li mhumiex il-partit li miegħu ikkontesta huwa. Possibilment dan jista’ jirrepeti ruħu anke fl-għadd waqt l-elezzjoni każwali kif jiġri diversi drabi fl-elezzjonijiet lokali.
Kif inhuma mqassma l-voti ma nafx. In-numri huma żgħar: il-kwota sħiħa fil-fatt fiha biss 390 vot.
Ir-riżultat ser ikun determinat minn kemm hu kbir in-numru ta’ votanti li għarfu s-saħħa kbira li għandu l-vot. Jekk ma jkunx hemm biżżejjed li jagħmlu hekk l-għażla tmur lura f’idejn il-partit politiku li innomina lil Albert Buttigieg.
“Da parti tiegħi, irrispettivament minn xi jkun irriżultat, onorat li ngħatajt l-opportunità li nservi. Il-parti tiegħi għamiltha,” temm jgħid Cacopardo.
