The Electoral Commission changed its policy and started to "stop and verify if in doubt" after the Nationalist Party challenged the voting rights of 91 foreigners, a court heard today.
Chief Electoral Commissioner Joseph Church took the witness stand this afternoon to testify in a court case involving one of the 91 people whom the PN are calling to be struck off the electoral register because they do not satisfy the requirements.
Ezrilevna Kon Lyubov's application to obtain voting rights was exhibited before Mr Church, who confirmed that her application - which had been approved - contained a number of missing details, including the dates of her entry and exit from Malta.
In order for a person to acquire the right to vote, he or she must be a Maltese citizen who has lived in Malta for at least six months in the last 18 months prior to the publication of the electoral register. The last electoral register was published in April.
Mr Church told the court that the general praxis in the past was for the Commission to approve all applications to vote unless "obvious factors" were lacking.
"I questioned this and had in fact issued written guidelines stating that, if in doubt, we stop...
