Speaking to journalists during a press conference yesterday afternoon, while counting at the Ta’ Qali counting hall was still in full swing, Dr Vassallo criticised the government for instructing its supporters not to vote for any other party.

He said that if the PN had told its supporters to vote for all its eight candidates and then give their ninth preference to Professor Cassola, he would have already been elected, Dr Vassallo said.

He said that thanks to this directive, nine per cent of PN votes have been wasted because they could not be transferred.

Commenting on the result as it was at the time (around 23,000 first count votes), Dr Vassallo said AD was “extremely satisfied” with the outcome, adding that the people showed that they understood that an election free of a scaremongering campaign was an election in which they could express themselves freely, as they did.

He said the party was happy with its performance and that it was very disappointing that the PN had resorted to the usual block voting system.

Dr Vassallo said the MLP lost 14,000 votes from the last general election, adding that every party now has to start from scratch and evaluate where it can improve.

He said they should also revise their method of doing politics in Malta.

Dr Vassallo said none of Malta’s potential MEPs have any experience of what it is like to be an MEP. Professor Cassola has this experience.

When asked if this also applied to Simon Busuttil who was elected with nearly 59,000 first count votes, Dr Vassallo said Dr Busuttil had extensive experience on the negotiations for Malta’s European Union membership bid but he did not experience of being an MEP.

Asked what the party intends to do retain the 23,000 first count votes it achieved and for this event not to be a one-off occasion, Dr Vassallo said there will be a concerted effort from AD to increase its share among Maltese voters.

He said AD has already accepted Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s invitation to participate on the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development and expressed his hope that the attacks levelled against AD would stop immediately.