More than 5,400 people have signed a petition calling for ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci to be granted a seat in Parliament following the 2026 general election.The petition, launched by a group of concerned citizens after the election, argues that Gauci should have been elected based on the support she received at the polls.While organisers acknowledge the petition has no legal standing, they say thousands of people have backed the call as a matter of democratic principle.In the May 2026 election, Gauci received 513 first-preference votes, eventually rising to 950 votes in the 12th District through the counting process.However, she was not elected to Parliament, while additional seats were allocated to Labour and Nationalist Party candidates under Malta’s gender corrective mechanism.In a statement, ADPD criticised the current electoral system, arguing that the mechanism has benefited the two major parties while excluding smaller parties from parliamentary representation.“This is not equality. This is political discrimination,” the petition states, insisting that voters who back parties outside Labour and the PN should not see their votes carry less weight.The petition calls on Parliament and the Electoral Commission to reform the electoral system, arguing that “every vote must carry the same weight” and urging authorities to “respect the voters, respect democracy and give Sandra Gauci her seat.”ADPD also reiterated its long-standing position that Malta’s electoral system requires a comprehensive overhaul, rather than piecemeal reforms, to ensure both proportional representation and gender balance. According to Gauci, only fundamental electoral reform can guarantee that every vote is treated equally, regardless of which party receives it.What do you make of this?•