Alternattiva Demokratika (AD) chairperson Harry Vassallo is confident that the party will elect four candidates in the forthcoming general elections.
“I am an optimist,” Vassallo said yesterday at a press conference in St Julian’s, during which the party outlined its six priorities for a coalition with one of two main parties after the next general elections.
“I am energized by the feedback of the people during our home visits, which is incredible,” Vassallo said asked whether he still was confident of reaching the target of four MPs he had mentioned during an interview with MaltaToday on 9 August 2006.
Vassallo said that AD will contest all 13 electoral districts in the forthcoming general elections, but there are some districts where the party has more chance of electing an MP, such as the Tenth District.
Asked by MaltaToday which where the other districts in which AD is expecting to perform strongly besides the Tenth District, Vassallo mentioned Gozo, the south of Malta and those localities where AD has already has elected local councillors.
Vassallo said that AD was ready to make a coalition with that party which subscribes to its six priorities for the forthcoming general elections.
Asked by MaltaToday whether AD would be credible in the eyes of the electorate if it did not declare which of the two main parties it would form a coalition with before the general election, Vassallo said: “None of the other parties have declared that they will form a coalition with us. We are ready to form a coalition with all those who are ready to adopt our proposals.
“We have our identity and therefore whoever wants to enter into a coalition with us has to respect our identity. You can ask the other parties whether they have any fundamental disagreement with our proposals,” Vassallo insisted.
The six priority areas listed by AD are the environment, housing, transport, the family, the economy, and democracy and human rights (see box).
Asked whether AD had already approached either of the main parties in this respect, Vassallo said: “We have not approached anybody. Our door is always open.”
Vassallo recalled that during the campaign leading to the 2003 EU referendum and the ensuing general election a month later, AD had shown that it was capable of forming part of a coalition.
He mentioned how the Nationalist Party had then made an offer to AD to take up a seat in Parliament instead of contesting the forthcoming general election.
Since then, Vassallo said, “A Nationalist Government has done its utmost to obscure AD’s contribution in the conquest of Malta’s EU membership.
“The PN took Malta into the EU but does not have European values and is resisting all EU Directives. On the other hand, the Labour Party was not in favour of Malta joining the EU, has changed its position and is now in favour of membership, but is dilly-dallying because of calculations of electoral opportunism.”

AD’s priorities in a coalition
1. Respect of all EU environmental Directives including the abolition of spring hunting
2. MEPA reform including the abrogation of the extended Development Zones
3. Rent reform including the reduction of income from rent from 35% to 15%
4. Public transport liberalisation
5. Extension of maternity leave from 13 to 26 weeks paid by the Government
6. Reduction of Income Tax from 35% to 30% while tax on the income of banks will be increased from 35% to 40%
7. Electricity surcharge will be based on consumption
8. Introduction of divorce and a law to regulate cohabiting couples
9. A more transparent governance with a Freedom of Information Act, a Whistleblower Act and a law regulating party financing