Squabbles at polling station as Cassola votes

A flare-up occurred at Pembroke at about 11 yesterday morning when Alternattiva Demokratika's spokesman on international affairs, Professor Arnold Cassola, arrived to vote in the referendum.

Professor Cassola is also the general secretary of the European Federation of Green Parties.

Walking up to a group of reporters and camera people gathered at the end of the obligatory 50-metre buffer zone, Professor Cassola - who was accompanied by AD chairman Harry Vassallo and other AD officials and local council candidates - waved his voting document over his head in a clear sign of his intention.

This triumphant gesture infuriated a couple of Labour supporters and one of them, an MLP election representative had to be restrained by his colleagues from rushing towards Professor Cassola.

After casting his vote, Professor Cassola said that he had as much right as any other voter to cast his vote.

Dr Vassallo said that when the referendum date was announced on January 29, Professor Cassola's name was included in the electoral register.

The law states that all those whose name appeared in the electoral register when the referendum date was announced were entitled to vote in the referendum.

The issue being debated in court relates to a general election and was still pending.

On Tuesday, the Labour Party's application to have Professor Cassola struck off the electoral register was put off to March 26 after Professor Cassola filed a constitutional application.

There is no court decision yet on the matter, but Professor Cassola had the right to vote like hundreds of other citizens, who out of fear of legal reprisals had not voted, Dr Vassallo said.

Soon after he voted in Sliema, earlier on, Dr Vassallo said his party had authorisation from the Broadcasting Authority to have photographers take pictures of him casting his vote but the police prevented photographers from going in the polling station.

"The police officer checked with the Electoral Commission whether photographers could be allowed inside but the Commission said no.

"These are two constitutional bodies saying two different things. We trust that such ridiculous things would not be repeated in other elections," Dr Vassallo said.