| Prof. Arnold Cassola | |
|---|---|
| Ex Chairperson of Democratic Alternative | |
| In office 2008–2009 |
Arnold Cassola is a Maltese politician, an Associate Professor in Comparative Literature at the University of Malta and the author and editor of various books and academic papers. He has held elective office and political posts in Malta, Italy and at a European level.
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Cassola was one of the co-founders in 1989 of Alternattiva Demokratika. Between 1990 and 1997 he was the Party's delegate to the European Green Party (EGP). He unsuccessfully contested national elections with the Party in 1992, 1998, 1998, 2003 and 2008. Between 1994 and 1997 he served as local councillor in Swieqi. His best result in Maltese politics was in the 2004 election for the European Parliament when he obtained 9.33% (or 23,000 votes) of the first preference votes, just failing to be elected one of Malta's five MEPs.
In July 2008 Cassola was elected Chairperson of the Party after the resignation of Harry Vassallo. In the second elections held in Malta for the European Parliament in 2009 Cassola stood as candidate once more together with another candidate for the Party, Yvonne Ebejer Arqueros. This time the Party polled only 2.34% of the vote.[1] In view of the result, Cassola resigned as Party Chairperson and was replaced in October 2009. He currently holds the post of International Secretary with Alternattiva Demokratika.
Cassola was elected member of the Executive Committee of the European Green Party in 1997, eventually being elected Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the (EGP). In the latter post he served between 1999 and 2006. Between 2001 and 2006 he was one of the three European representatives on the Global Greens Coordination, a European Union electoral observer in Burundi (2005) and editor of the official organ of the European Greens "Green Update" (since 1998).
In Italy, Cassola was a deputy in the Italian Chamber of Deputies elected by Italian expatriates in the Europe constituency with the centre-left coalition L'Unione between 2006 and 2008.
Cassola was made Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2003 by the Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.[2]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Harry Vassallo |
Chairperson of Alternattiva Demokratika 2008 - 2009 |
Succeeded by Michael Briguglio |