The maverick far-right Imperium Europa leader Norman Lowell will be contesting the upcoming general election after all.

In keeping with the virtual-electioneering spirit that seems to have caught on across the political spectrum, the news was revealed by a blogger ( www.sandrovella.org ) who attended a meeting this Saturday in which Norman Lowell announced his intention.

"I'm contesting so when we've been completely invaded (by immigrants), this cowardly people, even though sincere, will not have an excuse that there was nobody to defend them," he said when contacted by The Times yesterday, likening himself to the controversial post-war British anti-immigration campaigner Enoch Powell.

"In England they're now saying Powell was right - I'm wearing a badge myself saying these days. Soon here, they'll be saying Lowell was right," he insisted, repeating one of the catch lines that pepper his fiery speeches.

Mr Lowell had told the Maltese language Sunday paper Illum last month that he had no intention of contesting the election, fearing it might jeopardise his chances at the MEP elections (where he had already set his sights in 2004 when he garnered 1,603 votes) if the supporters of the losing party blame him for their party's loss at the general election.

Since then, however, he has changed his mind and decided to contest the 11th and 12th districts under the Imperium Europa ticket.

James Cauchi, an unknown, will be contesting the 9th and 10th district on behalf of Viva Malta, which is aligned to, but not part of, the Imperium Europa movement.

"We have a few minor differences on the dominium side," Mr Lowell explained, referring to the distinction made in his Emperium Europa theory which distinguishes between Imperium and Dominium (broadly the European and the local political sphere).

Having entered the political fray as the voice of anti-immigration in 2003, Mr Lowell reached the height of his popularity in 2005 with an infamous speech in Ħal Safi, during which he suggested that if need be, immigrants' boats should be sunk 14 miles out at sea.

Shortly after that speech he was charged twice with inciting racial hatred but the cases were put off sine die after the prosecution was absent from three sittings.

He was arrested and charged with inciting racial hatred and, among other things, for joking about the president in 2006 but the case has not yet been decided.

Since 2005, particularly after the formation of Alleanza Nazzjonali Repubblikana (ANR), his movement was fractured and now counts only a small number of loyal supporters.

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