A number of paid-up PN members have been left in the dark by their party after they discovered that they were mysteriously struck off the voting registry.
Sources have claimed that the executive committee of the Nationalist Party has decided to remove a number of paid-up members (tesserati) from the voting registry without informing the individuals and without providing an explanation whatsoever.
A number of individuals, who are also lifetime members, contacted The Malta Independent after they were unable to collect their voting documents after their names were absent from the registry.
The sources have claimed that after party officials failed to offer them any form of explanation, they pursued different channels only to find out they were no longer members.
When pressed on the issue surrounding the removal of lifelong members, a PN spokesperson denied the claims, insisting that any lifelong members are still on the registry, unless they personally removed themselves from the party. However, a lifelong member who has been denied the vote has shown this newspaper his membership card clearly stating that he is a life member.
A post on social media has also corroborated the claims after a person indicated that a number of memberships that were collected from Qormi have disappeared after being submitted to the Nationalist Party headquarters.
It reads as follows:
“I am going to make this post public because I have had enough. I cannot take it anymore. I collected a number of paid-up members from Qormi and passed them on the Nationalist Party headquarters (Dar Centrali). Now I have no idea what happened to them. My conscience is clear. Go and fight for your vote Nationalist members. I am no saint, but I am not going to hell over this money. I am a proud Nationalist but I am hurt deeply.”
Contacted by the newsroom the electoral commission of the PN said that "all party members whose membership is in line with article 38 of the Party Statute and articles 5 and 6 of the Regulations of the leadership elections are eligible to vote and a voting document has already been printed and awaiting collection or has been collected.”
“In July the commission had written to all party members whose membership was in line with these articles but had pending membership renewals to renew their membership to be eligible to vote. Those who had renewed till then have been issued with a voting document.
“These members have until this Wednesday (tomorrow) at 6pm to renew their membership and thus become eligible to vote and a voting document is issued in their name for collection on Thursday which is the last day when voting documents can be collected.
“In July the Commission also made a call to all those who believe they are eligible to vote but did not receive the Commission's letter to come forward so that their case is investigated. The Commission issued a voting document to all those who were found to be in line with the above articles once their request was seen to." The Commission, however, failed to explain why some lifelong members were being denied the right to vote.
According to figures taken after early voting took place on 9 September, some 22,000 voters are eligible to vote, however, only 9,000 voting documents had so far been collected.
Statistics provided to The Times of Malta by the PN revealed that the average age of party members is 60. Males make up 54.7 per cent and have an average age of 58, while females who make up 45.3 per cent, have an average age of 62.
The leadership election, which is between MP Chris Said and newcomer Adrian Delia, is due to take place on this coming Saturday, 16 September.
Delia and Said qualified for the run-off after they obtained the most votes in the first phase of the election last week. Councillors eliminated Frank Portelli and Alex Perici Calascione from the race.
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In a statement, Said said he had written to the PN's Electoral Commission to demand an explanation.