PD Deputy Leader To Run As Independent Candidate After Party Forgot To List Him
Timothy Alden, the Deputy Leader of Partit Demokratiku, will be forced to contest next month’s local council election as an independent candidate after his party forgot to list him in their candidate submission list.
“I applied as a PD candidate for the Sliema local election correctly and on time,” Alden told Lovin Malta.
“Regulations state that parties have to submit an approved list once nominations close. The mistake was from our agent’s part, who did apply on time, but due to an oversight, forgot to list me down. On realising this, and well before the decision was taken by Electoral Commission, PD submitted a fresh application with the correct list, but this was not accepted,” he said.
Alden will now be running as an independent candidate, saying that “PD abides by the decision taken by the Electoral Commission.”
Alden’s name will now be accompanied by ‘Tal-Oranġjo’ next to his name on the ballot for clarity
“Partit Demokratiku remains foursquare behind its deputy leader in his election campaign. If elected, Mr Alden will act as the official representative and councillor of Partit Demokratiku in Sliema, putting the interests of the residents of the locality first,” they said in a statement.
Partit Demokratiku have issued a statement on the mishap
“Partit Demokratiku would like to inform the electorate that following a clerical error, the Electoral Commission has stated that Deputy Leader Timothy Alden will be listed as an Independent candidate on the ballot sheet for the Sliema local council election, with Tal-Oranġjo to be listed after his name. On his part, all documents were submitted correctly and all procedures were followed.”
“Partit Demokratiku remains foursquare behind its deputy leader in his election campaign. If elected, Mr Alden will act as the official representative and councillor of Partit Demokratiku in Sliema, putting the interests of the residents of the locality first.”
“In a statement Timothy Alden said, “Partit Demokratiku will continue to promote solidarity between residents both old and new, and seek cooperation and understanding across party lines. Partisanship has no place in local service. Partit Demokratiku is therefore determined to humanise politics through a people-centred leadership approach, putting the needs of the community and their quality of life before private or party interests.”
“Active Citizenship is a core pillar of Partit Demokratiku’s vision, and it therefore wishes to foster an understanding that with rights also come certain responsibilities. We all have a duty to look after our neighbours, our locality, and also to seek the betterment and well-being of our wider community across our country.”