Former MPs Edwin Vassallo and Peter Micallef are the most likely Nationalist Party candidates who will make a return to Parliament following a court judgment yesterday giving the Nationalist Party the right to elect two extra seats in the House of Representatives.

But their seat is not yet guaranteed as the government has given notice of appealing the judgment, claiming that the way things are in the House - 39 Labour MPs against 30 MPs - mirrors the proportional representation system as established in Maltese legislation.

Mr Vassallo and Dr Micallef, who were both MPs in the last legislature, were the two PN candidates who were closest to a seat from all the 13 districts and, if the Constitutional Court judgment given yesterday will be confirmed on appeal, they will most likely become MPs again.

 

Although the court case regarded the 8th and 13th district, the extra two candidates will not be picked from here but, as happens when parties need to appoint additional MPs to maintain proportionality, those selected are candidates who would have been closest to being elected.

Simon Busuttil press conference

Court judgment