Alex Borg To Keep Gozo Seat Despite Party Statute

Alex Borg will retain his Gozo parliamentary seat after the Nationalist Party found a way around its own statute.

The PN confirmed the decision in a Facebook post on Friday evening, announcing that Borg would keep his Gozo seat following last weekend’s election.

The decision means Borg will relinquish his seat on the 12th District instead, despite party rules generally requiring candidates elected from two districts to give up the seat where they obtained the lower percentage of first-count votes.

According to Times of Malta, the PN’s interpretation hinges on the statute’s definition of a “candidate”.

Under the party statute, a candidate is defined as a party member approved by the Executive Committee to contest an election on behalf of the party.

PN officials reportedly argued that because Borg contested the election as party leader, rather than through the usual approval process, he does not fall under that specific definition.

The move allows Borg to retain his seat in Gozo, where he received the highest number of first-count votes but a lower percentage share than in the 12th District.

The decision is expected to impact upcoming casual elections, with academic George Vital Zammit now likely to benefit from the vacancy on the 12th District.

The Labour Party criticised the move shortly after it was announced, accusing Borg of disregarding the party’s own statute and putting personal convenience before established rules.

What do you make of this decision?

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Dylan Attard

Dylan Attard is a Social Media Executive at Lovin Malta and a proud Gozitan with a passion for digital media, content creation, and social trends. Outside of work, you’ll usually find him at the gym, watching series and keeping up with everything happening online.