Maltese-born Arnold Cassola, an MP in the Italian Parliament, yesterday confirmed that he is seeking to be elected to the Maltese parliament on 8 March and he did not rule out that he might be contesting the Italian general elections on 13 and 14 April too.

Speaking to The Malta Independent, Prof. Cassola, who was elected to the Italian lower house in 2006 by the Italian expatriates in the Europe constituency, explained that he will still be carrying out his parliamentary duties at the Camera dei Deputati, until 29 April, when the newly elected chambers will meet following the Italian election.

Article 61 of the Italian Constitution stipulates that the two chambers, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, will keep on functioning until the next parliament convenes.

Asked whether he would seek a second term at Palazzo Montecitorio, Prof. Cassola explained that his party, the Italian Greens, must first decide which coalition they would join. They are currently in the centre-left coalition L’Unione led by caretaker Prime Minister Romano Prodi. He said the Verdi, would then have to choose its candidates.

Prof. Cassola said his priority is to be elected to the Maltese parliament on the Alternattiva Demokratika ticket. “If the Verdi were to ask me to contest in order to gain more votes by Italian expatriates, I would gladly do so. However, I would relinquish my Italian seat if I were an MP in Malta,” said the former European Green Party secretary-general.