Local elections | Labour increases vote by 2%

The Labour Party won 56.7% of the vote in the 33 localities which held a local election on Saturday 9 March, increasing its share by 2.2% when compared to the previous elections held in the same localities. 

The PN which was bracing itself for another drubbing, held on to its share, registering 42.3% of the vote, compared to the 44.1% garnered in the previous local elections.

Meanwhile, Alternattiva Demokratika averaged 0.4% of the vote over all localities and 4.6% in the three localities it contested. The Green Party Chairperson Michael Briguglio maintained his seat on the Sliema council but the other two candidates who contested Marsascala and Santa Venera did not make it.

Independent candidates averaged 0.6% of the vote, with the most notable performance being that of Giovanni Gatt in Mgarr who despite winning 9.1% of the vote, missed out on a seat in the hamlet's council.

The result means that Labour won the absolute majority in 23 localities, while the PN held on to nine3 localities and Mdina where no election was held since only five candidates contested for the five available seats.

Labour managed to overturn PN majorities in six localities, namely Pieta, Mtarfa, Santa Venera, Mellieha, Birkirkara and Mqabba. Despite earning the majority of votes in these localities, Labour has only secured three majorities in terms of seats by 9pm.

Candidates who earn the highest number of votes among the party which elects most seats is elected mayor and since the election result was very close in Mtarfa, Mellieha and Birkirkara, the outcome will only be known when the votes are distributed to other candidates. This process is expected to run well into the night and the final result is expected on Sunday afternoon.

Other localities where the outcome of the distribution of seats is too close to call include Msida, Valletta and San Gwann. The counting process was hampered by a number of requests for recounts in the localities which were too close to call such as Mtarfa, where Labour enjoyed a five-vote majority in the first count.

Results

Ghasri 5 seats Turnout 76% PL 42.8% PN 57.2% Mayor: Daniel Attard (PN)

Sannat 5 seats Turnout 84% PL 76.8% PN 23.2% Mayor: Philip Vella (PL)

Ta' Xbiex 5 seats Turnout 74% PL 60.3% PN 39.7% Mayor: Max Zammit (PL)

Xghajra 5 seats Turnout 90% PL 82.9% PN 17.1% Mayor: Anthony Valvo (PL)

Fontana 5 seats Turnout 90% PL 38.2% PN 61.8% Mayor: Saviour Borg (PN)

Gharb 5 seats Turnout 73% PL 38.4% PN 61.6% Mayor: David Apap Agius (PN)

Gudja 5 seats Turnout 94% PL 65.1% PN 34.9% Mayor: John Calleja(PL)

Mqabba 5 seats Turnout 91% PL 56.8% PN 43.2% Mayor: Nicholas Briffa (PL)

Kalkara 5 seats Turnout 90% PL 69% PN 31% Mayor: Speranza Chircop (PL)

Mtarfa 5 seats Turnout 94% PL 50.1% PN 49.9% Mayor: Too close to call

Qrendi 5 seats Turnout 92% PL 63% PN 37% Mayor: David Schembri (PL)

Xewkija 5 seats Turnout 89% PL 67.5% PN 32.5% Mayor: Paul Azzopardi (PL)

Pembroke 5 seats Turnout 86% PL 54.8% PN 42.2% Ind 3% Mayor: Dean Hili (PL)

Pieta 5 seats Turnout 83% PL 51.6% PN 48.4% Mayor: Keith Tanti (PL)

Mgarr 5 seats Turnout 89% PL 35.3% PN 55.6% Ind 9.1% Mayor: Paul Vella (PN)

Cospicua 7 seats Turnout 86% PL 81% PN 19% Mayor: Alison Zerafa (PL)

Msida 9 seats Turnout 68% PL 50.3% PN 49.7% Mayor: Too close to call

Santa Venera 7 seats Turnout 90% AD 2.5% PL 52.7% PN 44.8% Mayor Stephen Sultana (PL)

Valletta 7 seats Turnout 83% PL 48.4% PN 51.6% Mayor: Too close to call

Ghaxaq 5 seats Turnout 93% PL 79% PN 21% Mayor: Darren Abela (PL)

Lija 5 seats Turnout 79% PL 31.8% PN 62.3% Ind 5.9% Mayor: Ian Castaldi Paris (PN)

Mellieha 9 seats Turnout 81% PL 52.3% PN 47.7% Mayor: too close to call

Victoria 7 seats Turnout 87% PL 39.3% PN 60.7% Mayor: Samuel Azzopardi (PN)

Tarxien 7 seats Turnout 92% PL 73.2% PN 26.8% Mayor: Joseph Abela (PL)

Rabat 9 seats Turnout 82% PL 55.8% PN 44.2% Mayor: Charles Azzopardi(PL)

Sliema 11 seats Turnout 57% AD 7.9% PL 26.1% PN 65.7% Ind 0.3% Mayor: Anthony Chircop (PN)

Marsascala 9 seats Turnout 80% AD 3.5% PL 64.5% PN 32% Mayor: Mario Calleja (PL)

Zejtun 9 seats Turnout 92% PL 75.8% PN 24.2% Mayor: Joe Attard (PL)

San Gwann 9 seats Turnout 82% PL 50.9% PN 49.1% Mayor: too close to call 

Naxxar 9 seats Turnout 84% PL 43.4% PN 56.6% Mayor: Maria Deguara (PN)

B'kara 13 seats Turnout 88% PL 50.4% PN 49.6% Mayor: too close to call

Fgura 9 seats Turnout 92% PL 71% PN 29% Mayor: Byron Camilleri (PL)

Zabbar 11 seats Turnout 93% PL 71.9% PN 28.1% Mayor: Quinton Scerri (PL)