The decision to extend the voting time on 8 March by one hour was taken solely by the Electoral Commission, “and by nobody else”, Malta Labour Party deputy leader for party affairs Michael Falzon said yesterday.
Reacting to “reports and insinuations” in the media, with one newspaper reporting that MLP secretary general Jason Micallef as saying that it was Dr Falzon who requested an extra hour of voting, Dr Falzon said that it was not the first time that this decision had been made. In 1996, the voting time had been extended in Has-Serh.
He said that it was the first time that a general election was held together with a local councils election, a round which favoured the MLP. He said the longest queues were registered in Zejtun, Senglea, Marsa, Zebbug, Zurrieq and the St Elmo school in Valletta, places where it is known that the MLP enjoys support.
Dr Falzon said that we he and Louis Gatt went to speak to the Electoral Commission about this, the commission was already considering the one-hour extension. This can be confirmed by Chief Electoral Commissioner Edward Gatt and Electoral Commissioner Tony Sultana.
The MLP had proposed that the time extension should have been given only in those localities where local council elections were being held, but the commission had chosen to extend voting time across the board so as not to create misunderstandings, Dr Falzon said.
Dr Falzon said that in 2008, voter turnout was 2.5 per cent less than it was in 2003, and the lowest turnout was registered in traditional PN strongholds. “The fact is that it was not Michael Falzon, neither Louis Gatt, who decided to extend the voting time. The decision was taken by the Electoral Commission,” Dr Falzon said.
The one hour extra affected all parties in the same manner, and “if someone wanted to point fingers at someone else and say the election was won and lost in this hour, I doubt whether this someone deserves to be in politics.”
Dr Falzon said that a deeper analysis on the results of the general election needs to be made. He said that in now way did he let the MLP down, so much so that he remained in the counting hall till the outcome of the election was clear. Dr Falzon said he is prepared to shoulder all responsibility, if this was the case.
He added he will allow no-one to attack his integrity and seriousness with which he has always worked within the MLP. More will be said in an official statement to be released today, Dr Falzon said.