AD lays 'blame' for loss of EP sixth seat on government

It was the government and not Alternattiva Demokratika which had failed to continue insisting on Malta's request for a sixth seat in the European Parliament, AD charged yesterday.

AD was replying to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi who claimed that AD had not supported the government's effort to obtain the sixth seat for Malta.

"Dr Gonzi must have a selective memory as AD and the European Greens were the ones to bring up the topic in the European Parliament, on the initiative of Arnold Cassola," Alternattiva chairman Harry Vassallo said.

Dr Vassallo said that between July and September 2001, Prof. Cassola and the Greens intensively lobbied all the political groups in the European Parliament and managed to convince all the parties that Malta should have six seats.

In fact, in September 2001, the parliament voted overwhelmingly to give Malta the additional seat, a vote reconfirmed in 2002.

But when it came to the Copenhagen summit in December 2002, the government failed to insist on the sixth seat, while the Czech Republic and Hungary managed to get additional seats, Dr Vassallo said.