Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson, Prof. Arnold Cassola, said: “Maltapost is conditioning the registration of voters in Malta for next European elections. Voters, including Non-Maltese EU nationals, should be able to send their applications by post, and without paying any postage to the Electoral commission offices in Malta and Gozo.
“In fact, Sections 1 and 3 – Article 6 – General Elections Act, says :
(1) All applications which may be made to the Commission under this Act regarding the registration, cancellation, correction or transfer of a voter may either be delivered to the Electoral Office or to the Local Council office wherein the voter resides or to any police officer in any police station in Malta or Gozo, or forwarded to the Commission free of any charge for posting.
“Instead, Maltapost officials have confirmed with interested parties that they have not delivered the said applications. When asked, they have replied: ‘I apologize for my late reply. Please note that our Legal Office is still awaiting a written reply from the Maltese Electoral Commission. A soon as feedback is available we will contact you back.’
“This is unacceptable,” concluded Prof. Cassola. Maltapost have no right to prevent eligible EU citizens from enrolling to vote in the Maltese electoral register. All applications must be delivered immediately and before the closing date of the 29 March. In the meantime, we are informing the representative of the European Parliament office in Malta of the behaviour of Maltapost.”
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Prof. Arnold Cassola, Chairperson tal-Alternattiva Demokratika, qal “Il-Maltapost qed tikkundizzjona r-reġistrazzjoni tal-votanti f’Malta għall-elezzjonjijiet Ewropej. Il-votanti, inkluż ċittadini tal-UE li mhumiex Maltin, jistgħu jibagħtu l-applikazzjonijiet tagħhom bil-posta mingħajr ħlas lill-uffiċċji tal-Kummissjoni Elettorali f’Malta u Għadwex.”
“L-Artikolu 6 tal-Att dwar l-Elezzjonijiet Ġenerali fil-fatt jgħid:
L-applikazzjonijiet kollha li jistgħu jsiru lill-Kummissjoni taħt dan l-Att dwar ir-registrazzjoni, it-tħassir, ilkorrezzjonijew it trasferiment ta’ elettur jistgħu jiġu ikkunsinnati fl-Uffiċċju Elettorali jew fl-uffiċċju tal-Kunsill Lokali tal-lokalità fejn ikun joqgħod l-elettur, jew lil uffiċjal tal-Pulizija fi stazzjon tal-Pulizija f’Malta jew Għawdex inkella jistgħu jiġu mibgħuta bil-lposta lill-Kummissjoni mingħajr ħlas ta’ pustaġġ
“Minflok, l-uffiċjali tal-Maltapost ikkonfermaw mal-partijiet interessati li ma wasslux dawn l-applikazzjonijiet. Meta mistoqsija, skużaw ruħhom għat-tweġiba tard, minħabba li l-ufficċju legali tal-Maltapost għadu qed jistenna tweġiba bil-miktub mill-Kummissjoni Elettorali.
“Dan mhux aċċettabbli”, ikkonkluda l-Prof. Cassola. “Il-Maltapost m’għandhiex dritt iżżomm liċ-ċittadini tal-UE eliġibbli biex jivvutaw f’Malta milli jinkitbu fir-reġistru elettorali Malti. L-applikazzjonijiet kollha għandhom jitwasslu minnufih u qabel id-data tal-għeluq tad-29 ta’ marzu. Filwaqt, qed ninfurmaw lir-rappreżentant tal-Parlament Ewropew f’Malta bl-imġiba tal-Maltapost.”
