ADPD leader Carmel Cacopardo is seeking a seat on the St Julian's local council. 

The Green party leader took the unusual step of submitting his nomination for a casual election to fill the council seat vacated by former Nationalist mayor Albert Buttigieg, who has been elected an MP.

The usual practice is that only candidates from the party whose seat was vacated would submit a nomination to fill it. But all PN candidates who contested the 2019 local election were elected.

ADPD explained at a press conference on Wednesday that it is a strong believer in cross-party voting, something allowed in the Malta voting system based on the single transferable vote.

Cacopardo noted that during the council elections in 2019, of the votes cast for Buttigieg, 6.33% continued on candidates from other parties on the second count. This could continue in subsequent counts during the casual election.

Only a small number of votes is involved, with the quota for election being just 196.

It is still difficult for Cacopardo to achieve that number, and contrary to general elections, no candidates in local elections are elected without achieving a quota.

Should the quota not be achieved, the Nationalist Party will be free to co-opt somebody of its choosing to fill the seat vacated by Buttigieg.