Cacopardo says he was asked to vote in PN election, 17 years after leaving party

ADPD deputy chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said he is not surprised by doubts being raised about voters’ eligibility in the PN leadership election, claiming to have received calls urging him to vote, despite leaving the party 17 years ago.

In a blog post, Cacopardo said he was “not at all surprised” by doubts raised by defeated candidate Adrian Delia’s campaign on Monday night over the eligibility of some voters, after claiming to have been told by a Delia canvasser he could vote in the contest.

“Without doubt, it is possible that there were mistakes in the lists of those who had the right to vote,” he said.

A reader has contacted Times of Malta with similar claims.

In a letter yesterday to party officials, Delia’s camp had claimed “ineligible” voters may have cast their ballot during the PN leadership election, while raising questions about some voters appearing on party voting lists.

The party responded that it had investigated the claims and stood by the results of the election, which Gozitan MP Alex Borg won by just 44 votes. Delia, whose campaign manager signed the letter, denied he was contesting the election results.

Cacopardo said he received a call “a few weeks ago” from a member of Delia’s team, urging him to attend an event in support of Delia’s bid for the leadership.

“I asked her why she was calling me, as I had resigned from being a member of the Nationalist Party many years ago... Not only had I resigned, but I am also active in another political party!

“To my great surprise, she answered: I don’t know, sir, but your name is written here on the list in front of me and you have the right to vote in the election," recounted Cacopardo.

The ADPD chairperson said that should the doubts raised by Delia’s campaign be true, “it casts doubts on the validity of an election that was won (by Alex Borg) by a margin of 44 votes. This, apart from casting a great shadow on the organisational credibility of the PN”.

He said he was “following with a smile what is currently happening within the Nationalist Party.”

Cacopardo’s experience mirrors those highlighted by a reader who contacted Times of Malta to say they had received multiple calls from Delia’s campaign asking her to take part in surveys or political events.

“I have informed them multiple times that I am not registered with the Nationalist Party and that I would appreciate it if they would stop contacting me, but they never listened,” the reader said.  

She said she received a missed call from a number that had been used by Delia’s team to call her mother, asking her to vote on Saturday night.

Cacopardo announced in 2022 that he was stepping down as ADPD leader and was replaced by Sandra Gauci the following year. He contested three general elections on behalf of the PN and was a member of the party for 12 years before his resignation in 2008.

In a statement on Monday night, the PN electoral commission stood by the results of the election, stressing that both candidates had agreed to the list of voters before the elections were held.