Local council election: PL retains Valletta and PN flips St Paul's Bay

Labour held on to the capital Valletta, while the Nationalist Party flipped St Paul’s Bay on the first day of vote counting for the Local Council Election.

The vote gap between the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party was reduced from 20,055 to 11,757, while the seat difference between Labour and PN has been reduced to 13 from 28. 

The process of counting votes for all of Malta and Gozo’s localities started on Wednesday and will continue through to Friday.

The Electoral Commission said on Sunday that turnout for the local council elections stood at 59.47% of the total number of registered voters.

The lowest turnout was in St Julian’s, where only 26% of the voters cast their preference, followed by St Paul's Bay and Sliema on 28%. Kercem had the highest turnout at 74%, followed by Dingli at 74% and Santa Lucija at 73%.

The localities from which votes will be counted on Wednesday are:

Birżebbuġa

PL:Scott Camilleri (mayor), Josette Busutill, Alexander Caruana, Maria Mifsud, Ivan Grech Abela, Rohasia Zammit PN:Johann Borg, Karel Zahra, Mark Doneo Debono

St Julian’s

PN:Guido Dalli (mayor), Sean Gauci, Gabriel Carl Borg Ferrando, Victor Vella, Patricia Camilleri, Rita Dimech Portelli PL:Mario Amaira, David Caruana, Carlo Mifsud

Tarxien 

PL:Joseph Abela Galea (mayor), Darlene Vella, Dasier D’Amato, Nicole Farrugia, Neil Portelli PN:Anabelle Marmara, Glenn Gerald Urry

Iklin

PN:Dorian Sciberras (mayor), Yvonne Bartolo, Mary Grace Gusman PL:Mario Fenech, Matthew Fenech

Żurrieq

PL: Rita Grima (mayor), Ignatius Farrugia, Marisa D’Amato, Kenneth Farrugia, Jeremy Coleiro, Daniel-Michael Muscat PN:Kyle Mifsud, Dino Bonnici, Marylyn Sammut

St Paul’s Bay

PN: Censu Galea (mayor), Chris Vella Petroni, Alexander Agius, Anne Marie Fenech, Rachel Antoinette Williams, Antoinette Bezzina, Sandra Smart Costantino PL: Alfred Grima, Daryl Connor, Alan Bugeja, Joseph Matthew Attard, Clevion Micallef ADPD: Sandra Gauci

Ta’ Xbiex

PL:Max Zammit (mayor), Sarah Borg, Ronnie Portelli PN:Louise Cachia Castaletti, Gino Muscat

Santa Venera

PL: Gianluca Falzon (mayor), Stephen Sultana, Darren Grech, Silvio Vella PN: Karl Carabott, Joseph Vella, Roberta Adriana Sultana

Għajnsielem

PN: Kevin Cauchi (mayor), Joseph Debono, Stephen Mercieca, Teddy Saliba PL:Larry Buttigieg  

Mellieħa

PN:Gabriel Micallef, Corinne Castillo, Emvin Bartolo, Loridana Darmanin PL:John Buttigieg, Rebecca Bartolo Cutajar, Kurt Buttigieg Jude Cauchi Independent:Matthew Borg Cuschieri

Pembroke

PL:Kaylon Zammit (mayor), Adrian Ellul, Raymond Lanzon PN:Therise Abela, Charles Cesare

Żejtun

PL:Joan Agius (mayor), Raymond Caruana, Christian Attard, Anthony Aquilina, Dorcas Camilleri, Ivan Giardina PN:Enya Abela, Roderick Caruana

Mqabba

PL: Marie Grace Zerafa (mayor), Patrick Ghigo, Jonathan Dingli PN:Noel Galea, Owen Sciberras

Qrendi

PL: David Michael Schembri (mayor), Anthea Sacco, Marion Parnis PN:Karmenu Farrugia, Nine Skye Briffa

Valletta

PL:Olaf Mc Kay (mayor), Alfred Zammit, Raymond Azzopardi, Daniel Diacono PN:Ylenia Montfort, Roberta Bonello, Vincent Fabri

Żebbuġ (Malta)

Independents:Steve Zammit Lupi, Lilibeth Zammit Lupi PL:Joseph Agius, Godwin Grech, Ayrton Mizzi, Paul Baldacchino PN:Mario Attard, Paul Mazzola, George Cortis  

Mayor will be elected in first council meeting

Nadur

PN:Edward Said (mayor), Kevin Curmi, Eucharist Camilleri PL:Rebecca Vella, Corey Cardona

Marsa

PL:Luke Farrugia(mayor), Josef Azzopardi, Joseph Scerri, Domnic Spencer, Joseph Cachia, Anthony Meilak PN:Gloria Aquilina

Fontana

PN:Thomas Mizzi (mayor), Ivana Mizzi, Joseph Mercieca PL:Horace Micallef, Carmelo Micallef

Balzan

PN:Angelo Micallef (mayor), Edward Grech, Annalise Galea, Mary Louise Briffa PL:Oliver Nicholas De Gaetano

Dingli

PL:Raymond Schembri (mayor), Miguel Abela, Ryan Tanti PN:Jean Paul Barbara, Jean-Toin Magri

Għasri

PL:Daniel Attard, Sammy Saliba, Elizabeth Mintoff PN:Emanuel Mintoff, David Felice Pace

Xewkija

PL:Simona Refalo (mayor), Paul Azzopardi, George Zammit PN:Jeanelle Attard, Charles Josef Hili

What happened on Wednesday?

Valletta will have a new Labour mayor, Olaf McKay, who received more first-count votes than outgoing mayor Alfred Zammit. In the recent local council elections, Labour lost control of St Paul's Bay to the Nationalist Party, with Censu Galea becoming the new mayor. Despite remaining the minority party in Xewkija, Zurrieq, Qrendi, Birzebbuga, and Dingli, the PN gained additional seats compared to 2019.

The election results followed the trend of the recent MEP elections, where Labour's lead dropped significantly, and they lost an MEP seat to the PN. Zebbug and Mellieha ended in a tie, requiring the new mayor to be decided at the council's first meeting.

In Gozo, Labour won Ghasri for the first time, gaining three seats, largely due to former PN mayor Daniel Attard switching to Labour. Meanwhile, Nadur and Fontana retained their Nationalist majorities, with Edward Said and Thomas Mizzi continuing as mayors, respectively.

Ghajnsielem and Fontana remained under Nationalist control with a 4-1 seat majority.

Labour retained control in Mqabba, Qrendi, and Dingli, with Raymond Schembri, David Michael Schembri, and Grace Marie Zerafa continuing as mayors, respectively. In Dingli and Qrendi, Labour's majority decreased to 3-2 from 4-1 in 2019, with the Nationalist Party gaining an additional seat.

Pembroke was narrowly won by Labour, with Kaylon Zammit becoming mayor. The Nationalist Party increased its vote count in this locality.

Labour also retained Xewkija, with Simona Refalo set to become mayor. The PN gained a second seat here compared to 2019.

Labour held onto Zurrieq, Tarxien, Birzebbuga, Zejtun, Ta' Xbiex, and Marsa. Marsa has a new mayor, Luke Farrugia; Tarxien's new mayor is Joseph Abela Galea, and Zejtun's new mayor is Joan Agius. Santa Venera also stayed under Labour control.

The Nationalist Party retained control of St Julian's, Iklin, and Balzan.

ADPD leader Sandra Gauci secured a seat on the St Paul's Bay local council.