The Electoral Commission is still in the dark about what it needs to prepare for first: the local election or the general election. Or both simultaneously?

Apart from the euro changeover, the date of the general election was the hottest topic during the last months of 2007, with rumours and speculation reaching fever pitch, sweeping up even the most cynical and hardened onlookers. The likelihood seemed stronger after the Prime Minister handed down the October budget.

But it all temporarily fizzled out in November when the Prime Minister announced that the election would not be held in 2007, and this allowed the country to celebrate Christmas in peace. Now that Parliament has resumed, the debate on when the election will be held has resumed.

The political scenario was also jolted when the Malta Labour Party announced on Boxing Day that Opposition Leader, Alfred Sant, was to undergo surgery the following day. This, again, led to speculation as to whether any election date planned by the PN for early this year would have to be postponed.

Dr Sant was discharged from hospital on Friday, 4 January and is recovering at home.

However, even though some might have thought that this would put the political parties’ preparations for the big day on hold, Nationalist Party general secretary Joe Saliba commented in the media that the Labour Party had already commenced its “pre-electoral campaign” while the PN’s would kick off on Monday (last Monday).

The Labour Party itself also said that Dr Sant would lead the party into the campaign for the coming general election.

Sources at the Electoral Commission yesterday explained to The Malta Independent that the latest date when the writ for this year’s local council elections can be issued, is Saturday, 2 February, with the elections so far scheduled to take place on Saturday, 8 March.

“Normally, this process is kicked off before – we (the electoral commission) do not wait until the last day to issue the date but we start working on it before,” the sources explained. This, however, is not a normal year.

It seems that the electoral commission is in two minds as to whether to start working for the local elections or to wait until the very last minute, when they would be legally required to issue the writ.

“Until today, we have received no information whatsoever – usually by this time we are given the go-ahead by the government to issue the writ,” the sources explained.

To make matters worse, every move, or lack of, will further fuel rumours about when the general election will take place.

“We are undecided as to whether to start off the process for the local elections, as we could easily give the impression that the general election will not take place in March – on such a small island everything and nothing can give rise to new rumours.”

However, apparently, the Electoral Commission is not willing to remain in what was described as “an ambiguous situation” and unless told otherwise, this week it is expected to issue a press statement requesting all those interested in acting as assistant electoral commissioners in the local council elections to come forward and contact the commission.

While many may be under the impression that a general election cannot take place concurrently with the local elections, this is not so.

“The government has two options: it can issue a writ and postpone the local elections by a few months, while the general election takes place instead, or else there is also the possibility that the two will be held together.”

However, the sources told this newspaper that the electoral commission has not yet received any instructions from the Justice and Home Affairs Ministry to postpone the local elections, and added that there “seems to be no sign to do this”.

Furthermore, even though it is not the norm and it has never happened so far, a general election can be held along with local council elections – a situation similar to when both the EU referendum (2003) and the election for Malta’s representatives in the European Parliament (2004) were held jointly with the local council elections.

Even though the electoral commission is at a “crossroads”, the sources said that they are ready for whatever would be called first.

“The counting hall in Naxxar is ready for either election – the structure is ready, all we have to do is customise it for the right elections along with training the staff.”