Malta’s Green Party, ADPD, are forecasting to have received a total of around 3,000 votes in this year’s European Parliament elections. The party said it was not content with these expected results, saying that it should have attained “much more.”

This comes within the context of independent candidates – particularly the former AD leader Arnold Cassola – having performed well in this year’s vote.

Deputy Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo told The Malta Independent that these projections are based on the results processed up until around 5:30pm.

ADPD Deputy Secretary General Mario Mallia concurred with his colleague’s dissatisfaction on the party’s expected number of total votes received while addressing a press conference.

Cacopardo added that all checks performed by the party are all being done manually “since the Electoral Commission will not give us the same information that it is giving to the major parties.” Arnold Cassola expressed the same sentiment earlier this afternoon, when he explained to this newsroom that he had no indications on his electoral performance, aside from what was being divulged to him through the media.

Malta’s Greens shall be analysing the official results over the coming weeks to see how it shall continue building its future to work for the country’s benefit, it stated.

“Today's election is not the end-goal but it is part of a journey for an alternative voice to be represented in the Parliament so that democracy, the sense of vision, and cleanliness in politics truly reign,” the party stated.

During this press conference, ADPD leader Sandra Gauci told journalists that both Labour and PN do not have much to rejoice about since 100,000 people opted not to vote at all. She said that this does not factor in the number of invalid votes.

“This is an essential part of the democratic process that we cannot ignore,” Gauci said. She added that with so many votes going to independent candidates, it is clear that many people have lost faith in both of the major parties, PL and PN.

ADPD’s Chairperson continued and said that “many people are scared to associate themselves with a party.” She said that this is why there was such a rise in the number of independent candidates in this year’s election. On this point, Gauci said that nepotism and corruption in the Maltese islands is increasing, and thus, aggravating the already poor situation in the country.

Gauci noted that this is agitating many people, particularly youths from looking at political parties and politics overall. “As a political party, ADPD, is being victim to this reasoning,” she said.

The chairperson called for the country to have a credible opposition that can keep the government in check – a government that, she said, “has lost its moral compass.” Hence, she stated that her party shall continue working to reduce the fragmentation that exists between similar-minded people.

In this regard, Gauci voiced her opinion that “you should not just piggy-back Metsola, at the end of the day, you must work for the country. Metsola’s wins are hers and PN must see what it should do to achieve wins in Malta.”

Gauci also confirmed that she would remain as ADPD leader, saying she had the support of her colleagues, but said that she would not be there forever.  She did guarantee that she would remain until the next general election, but said she would consider her position after that depending on how the party fares.

She also said that she believes it’s time for the party to rebrand itself.