MP recounts tension at counting hall as mistake became known

Nationalist MP Claudette Buttigieg this morning recounted to the court the tension she felt at the counting hall after the last election when she realised that some 50 of her votes had been given to another MP. She was testifying in a case instituted by the Nationalist Party relating to two mistakes in the counting process. In one mistake, a packet of 50 votes for Ms Buttigieg was transferred to PN candidate Michael Asciak, who got eliminated resulting in the election of Labour’s Edward Scicluna instead. In another alleged mistake, 10 votes belonging to PN candidate Frederick Azzopardi went missing, helping Labour’s Justyne Caruana get elected. Ms Buttigieg testified that when Dr Axiak realised he would not get elected, he congratulated her as he knew his votes would go to her. But as his votes were opened she realised there was a mistake as although the first count vote had been given to her, the votes were under the Axiak label. She said that she spoke to the Electoral Commission to see what her position was and was told that a mistake had been made but that she should not worry but speak to her representatives. Ms Buttigieg said the PN formalised its position at a later stage.