The new voting documents, which are set to be distributed to households as from tomorrow, do not have the necessary safety features, and the ink can be easily wiped off, PN Deputy Leader Beppe Fenech Adami revealed this evening.

Addressing a press conference, Dr Fenech Adami, accompanied by the PN Secretary General Rosette Thake, said that the PN was informed that due to a problem in the lamination machine, the documents were printed on plastic paper, instead of the standard lamination.

He said that the electoral commission had said that it experienced some issues with the lamination machines. The PN is informed that the commission was not provided with a new lamination machine so it opted to print on a plastic paper.

“The political parties were given a guarantee that, in line with the law, the voting documents would have strong security features that would make abuse impossible.”

Dr Fenech Adami said the printing started some weeks ago and was completed yesterday. “We are informed by the Electoral Commission that the voting documents that are supposed to be distributed as from tomorrow have been printed with ink that can be easily rubbed off.

However, it appears that the documents which were printed ‘in a flimsy manner,’ as described by the Deputy Leader, can have the link easily removed with with a fingernail, a wet cloth or methylated spirit. “This means that abuse can take place,” Fenech Adami said.

“We have to make it very clear that a simple alteration will completely fail the voting system,” he added.  

This issue was communicated with the political parties and an urgent meeting will be held this evening to discuss this issue. The PN has written to the electoral commission appealing to it to solve the manner. So far, it appears that the Labour Party has not reacted.  

“This is the fruit of Joseph Muscat’s selfishness. In order to save his skin, he called an election earlier than predicted,” he insisted.

“The Electoral Commission is still in time to solve this issue,” Dr Fenech Adami added. 

Statement by the Electoral Commission

The Electoral Commission did not deny the PN claims but said more attention would be given on polling day.  

After holding an urgent meeting it said that the newly-introduced medium of the voting document “has three security features that satisfied both the Commission and the party delegates.”

It sought to reassure the public that “stricter verification of the voters’ identity shall be undertaken during the poll.”

Every voter must take care to store this document in a safe place, such that on polling day, one can take it with him to vote at the polling centre indicated on the document. No one would be able to vote without the voting document, the commission said.

“The Electoral Commission draws the attention of the public to the electoral law provision which states that every person who is in unlawful possession of any voting document, or who fraudulently forges, counterfeits, defaces, or destroys a voting document shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment or to both such fine and imprisonment.”

PL press conference

In a press conference which started at 10.20pm, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici said the Nationalist Party was intentionally trying to undermine the democratic process.

"This is the second time he's done this. The first was when he claimed there was an ID card crisis," Dr Bonnici said.

PL MP Michael Falzon was equally critical. "PN delegates were there every step of the way. Their own party's delegates agreed with the decision taken by the Electoral Commission!" Dr Falzon exclaimed.

Louis Gatt, who heads the PL's electoral office and is their delegate on the Electoral Commission, said that assistant electoral commissioners representing parties at polling stations would be given a photocopy of a list of persons entitled to vote booklet.

Voting documents had been certified by the printing company used, security printers Agfa Graphics, he noted.

The Nationalist Party later said that it would be taking the matter to the OSCE.

"The PN will not allow anyone to meddle with the general election," they said. 

 

Photos Michael Camilleri