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News • June 06 2004


Public set to fund cheap Air Malta flights

Julian Manduca

With both government and Air Malta’s finances up the creek, a deal is being negotiated for the government to cover the shortfall on voters cheap flight tickets at election times.
As usually happens when Malta faces elections Air Malta offers the possibility for Maltese voters to visit Malta so as to vote at the reduced price of Lm15.
In the past Air Malta has always borne the cost of the flights, but as from the MEP elections 12 June, the public will be bearing the cost.
It was minister Austin Gatt who announced the change in policy as part of the restructuring process to make the national airline more sustainable.
At the time of the EU referendum last year, 1,128 voters took the opportunity to benefit from the cheap flights and at the last elections 1,149 came to Malta to vote.
It is not clear whether the government will pay all the difference in the price and negotiations are underway to decide on the amount.
This time there may be more than the usual number of returnees, as quite a few Maltese have recently taken up residence in Brussels on work related to the EU. On the other hand, the MEP elections are not generating the same interest as national elections, and this may mean less will come to vote.
Malta’s election system has often been criticised because of its counting system with all the votes counted manually rather than by computer in a process that takes days as opposed to hours – and leaving everyone in undue suspense - but that is not the only outdated process.
In most other developed countries voters living abroad either vote by post or in their country of temporary residence.
In a country with a huge deficit, Malta’s public finances are being further burdened by the cost of the cheaper tickets. When MaltaToday contacted minister Austin Gatt and Air Malta and asked for their comments including an estimate of the value the government will be invoiced by Air Malta, both replied by saying: “no comment.”

 

 

 

 

 





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