District-by-district guide to Elections 2013

FULL DATA of district share held by parties in Google Drive

DISTRICT 1 • Urban Labour

Labour took this district back in 2008 after losing it during the 'EU elections' of 2003, which it has held since 1992. The Valletta district has always tilted in favour of the incumbent government except in 1998, where it was overwhelmingly swung to the PN, and in 2008: the chances are that it stays Labour. Former Labour leader Alfred Sant has left 9,404 votes in this district but deputy leader Louis Grech can be expected to capitalise on his popularity here, while it is yet to be seen whether Yana Mintoff Bland can cash in on her late father's popularity.

An interesting rivalry will be between incumbent minister Mario de Marco, and Claudio Grech, who as the former head of Austin Gatt's secretariat will be gunning for his 3,232 votes.

DISTRICT 2 • Inner-harbour red heartland

Religiously Labour since 1976: both party leaders are contesting this district. Labour candidates will be angling for surplus votes from Joseph Muscat - again it is yet to be seen whether the public-schooled Mintoff Bland will attracting nostalgia votes from her father's birthplace and stir the Labour incumbents on this district. Missing from this district is former minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici, who moves off his birthplace and into the third district.

DISTRICT 3 • Everything changes but Labour

Safe Labour constituency where incumbents for the Zejtun, Fgura and Marsaskala areas can be expected to return with no 'star candidates' threatening their patch. Carm Mifsud Bonnici got 2,222 votes here but the landscape won't be radically changed.

DISTRICT 4 • Urban sprawl, mainly red

Labour candidates are at each other's throats over here, with heavyweights Carmel Mangion and big vote-winner Silvio Parnis having to face Joseph Muscat on this district. However the party leader will easily cash in on the 4,378 votes left here by the late Labour MP Karl Chircop, while candidates like star candidate Konrad Mizzi can be expected to capitalise on Muscat's surplus vote as the sponsor of his natural gas energy proposal. Contesting for the first time here is paediatric surgeon Chris Fearne.

Carm Mifsud Bonnici tries his luck on this district, where Nationalist MP Jesmond Mugliett leaves 2,484 votes. But upcoming candidate Mark Anthony Sammut will be one to watch on this district.

DISTRICT 5 • Hotly-contested southern coast

It's an all new candidate line-up for the Nationalists here where the party nemesis Franco Debono, district-buster in 2008, leaves 2,065 votes here; while former heavyweights Louis Galea, Ninu Zammit, and Helen D'Amato leave a total of 5,400 votes. People to watch here will be Austin Gatt's right-hand man Emanuel Delia but will his association with public transport reform cost him his popularity here? He will also contend with the popular MEP David Casa, who can be expected to shore up the vote here. Incumbent minister Jason Azzopardi also joins the line-up.

Labour have also brought in the big guns here to exploit the shadow of Delimara to their favour: Marlene Farrugia will be defending her 2,000 plus votes here; people to watch will be MEP Edward Scicluna, to see whether his European manner can actually translate into votes from the Labour south.

DISTRICT 6 • Conservative, working-class

This is where Malta's Nationalist and Labour's working-class and rural cores start mixing in what are evenly-spread shares of the vote, even though the PL has held this district since 1976. Qormi loses John Dalli's 3,371 votes here, as well as Ninu Zammit's 624, Louis Galea's, 1810, and former Siggiewi mayor Robert Musumeci's 875 votes: candidates like David Casa and Therese Comodini Cachia, a protégé of Lawrence Gonzi, will be looking to make inroads here. It is yet to be seen whether affable cardiac surgeon Albert Fenech will be attracting some votes.

DISTRICT 7 • Rural north, hunters' country

This was safe Nationalist country until Labour took 51% of the vote in 2008. If it reflects the changing tide, then this is the reason that Lawrence Gonzi is contesting this district for the first time, as well as to capitalise on 2,824 left here by independent, former Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.

Labour hope to keep the 'Rabat district' and Godfrey Farrugia might want to capitalise on the popularity of his partner, Labour MP Marlene Farrugia, who will not be contesting on this district these elections.

DISTRICT 8 • Nationalist urban core

Big gains to be made here with Alfred Sant leaving 7,110 votes and former PN deputy leader Tonio Borg leaving 3,780 votes. Newcomers include Labour MEP Edward Scicluna, although Edward Zammit-Lewis will be seeking to cash in on his rising popularity within the party. On the Nationalist side, MP Charlò Bonnici contests this district but he will have to face the might of established MPs like Beppe Fenech Adami and finance minister Tonio Fenech, both of them heavyweights in the 'Birkirkara district'.

DISTRICT 9 • Middle-class and safe Nationalist

Lawrence Gonzi leaves 10,901 first-count votes in this district which consolidate Nationalist control with 61% of the vote in 2008. That year, it was Dolores Cristina who took the bulk of his surplus, and the education minister now leaves 415 votes in this district. Undoubtedly, Gonzi-doppelganger Simon Busuttil will fulfil his practical role here by scooping up the Gonzi votes, but other candidates like incumbent MP Karl Gouder - who assumed an important role in the party campaign - will look to consolidate his first-count vote after being elected on a casual election when Michael Frendo became Speaker. Frendo leaves 278 votes here.

Other heavyweights include Francis Zammit Dimech, George Pullicino and Robert Arrigo.

Labour on the other hand can be expected to return Leo Brincat from this district, but other candidates - like Emanuel Mallia, who got much exposure in the Labour campaign - will want to capitalise on the 2,182 votes that Adrian Vassallo leaves behind.

DISTRICT 10 • True-blue Nationalist

Even though Sliema will always give the Nationalists four safe seats, it is curious to note that in 2008 the PN's share of the vote fell to 63%, its lowest since 1976. Its overarching support for the PN, reaching 73% in the 'EU' election of 2003, makes the 10 District the 'Cottonera of the Nationalists' - unflinchingly loyal.

And yet this is where Green Party chairperson and Sliema local councillor Michael Briguglio is hoping to "make history" with 2,000 first-count votes - a tall order for Alternattiva Demokratika.

Nationalist MPs missing from this district are John Dalli (1,711), Michael Frendo (1,518), and Dolores Cristina with 2,058 votes. Few are the newcomers in this district, which means Francis Zammit Dimech, George Pullicino, Robert Arrigo and now Karl Gouder can be expected to retain their seats.

Labour on the other hand will deliver its seat to Michael Falzon or Evarist  Bartolo - or both, given that a double-constituency election will see one of them cede their seat - and without MEP Joseph Cuschieri (971), some newcomer to the district might be hoping to get a generous surplus.

DISTRICT 11 • Nationalist 'three villages'

The Attard-Balzan-Mosta district is safe Nationalist territory which will also have leftover votes from Pullicino Orlando (2,301) and Tonio Borg (2,373) but there is Simon Busuttil running here which might mean other incumbents like Charlò Bonnici might be banking on a generous surplus. On the other hand Nationalist whip David Agius and MP Edwin Vassallo all had comfortable first-count leads.

Labour on the other hand will have to scoop up Anglu Farrugia's 2,198 votes which are going to be hunted by deputy leader Louis Grech and divorce campaign star Deborah Schembri. Also running here is former secretary-general Jason Micallef.

DISTRICT 12 • Nationalist north

Labour MP Anglu Farrugia is missing from this district (1,217 votes) and so is Nationalist MP Louis Deguara (2,249 votes). Labour heavyweight Evarist Bartolo is also elected from here, but his divorce campaign partnership will aid Deborah Schembri. On the other hand, in the Nationalist camp people like Mellieha mayor Robert Cutajar, who is also a Gonzi aide, will be trying their luck at election, while Censu Galea is running alongside his daughter Graziella, formerly mayor of St Paul Bay's.

DISTRICT 13 • Feudal battleground

Nothing changes in Gozo, except for the serious threat that in 2013 the sister-island might go Labour. In 2008, the PN's vote fell to 55% from 2003's 58% although Labour's highest ever gain here was in 1996 (45%) and in 1987 (46%). Joseph Mucsat has focused on creating a big Labour buzz on the island with his two mass-meetings, but incumbents Justyne Caruana and Anton Refalo might face some inside threat from Franco Mercieca; while incumbent ministers Giovanna Debono and Chris Said will retain their supremacy here. Missing from this list is Marthese Portelli, who leaves 1,103 votes here as well as Robert Tabone, who leaves 1,072 votes here.