Prof. Cassola was speaking at a press conference held by Alternattiva Demokratika (AD) at their headquarters in which they commented on last Saturday’s EP electoral results and announced a celebration activity, to be held next Saturday in Valletta.

“There is the possibility that we will gain the sixth seat during the talks currently being held in Brussels, he said, however the process for the eventual ratification is not a certain one and would be a long process, especially because some countries will be holding a referendum on the issue.”

If Malta does gain the sixth seat Prof. Cassola will be the one to hold it, being the next runner-up in last Saturday’s electoral results. “If we do get the sixth seat and the constitution is ratified before the next EP election, it would mean that the seat will be ADs,” he said.

Addressing the press conference, the party’s Chairman Harry Vassallo thanked the electorate for what he described as “a major breakthrough in Maltese politics.”

Dr Vassallo said the result was the best ever achieved by a third party in a national election since 1962. This election, he said, gave the Maltese the opportunity to articulate their democratic expression, beyond the repressed kind of politics that we were unfortunately used to.

He invited those who supported Prof. Cassola’s candidature to participate in the party’s “non partisan celebration” to be held next Saturday in republic street Valletta at 7.00pm, somewhat humorously called Green Raspberry.

The orders given by the major parties are not being obeyed, he said, many made a cross party statement. However, he explained, had the PN not scared some people into block-voting, Prof. Cassola would have probably got the seat instead of the MLP candidate.

He explained that there were a number of PN votes that went to waste, which could have elected Prof. Cassola even if they had voted him ninth after all the PN candidates.

Asked by The Malta Independent whether the party would now be pressing for an electoral system that could represent the support they have managed to achieve in the next general election – Dr Vassallo said that AD would be making its plea for a better representation both in the electoral system and the local broadcasting scenario, even with a constitutional case, he stressed.

All stations fall under the broadcasting law, which stipulates that there should be plural representation of political ideas, he said.

He made reference to a report commissioned by the EU investigating the broadcasting situation in Italy, where doubts are being cast over the Italian Premier Silvio Berlosconi’s ownership of shares in a particular television station. “What would they have to say about the Maltese scenario with the political parties directly owning media,” he queried.