Labour fields 177 candidates for the local council elections

Prime Minister and Labour leader Joseph Muscat denied that the Labour Party was at an advantageous position for the local council elections, despite being held in 34 localities, majority of which are a Labour strongholds.

Addressing the launch of the 177 candidates Labour is fielding for the council elections, Muscat also said that the PL was starting with six fewer seats, following an NSO review of the localities' populations.

32% of the candidates are youths, marking the biggest number of youths to contest the local council elections.

Muscat, pushing for a Labour win in the 11 April council elections, insisted that it was a fact that mid-term elections are won by the party in opposition.

"The election kicks off at a level-playing field, everyone starting from zero. I can't even say which council belongs to one party or the other. Every election is different. However, usually, government always starts at a disadvantage in mid-term elections," he said, adding that the PL was simply working harder to "reconfirm itself with the electorate".

The Labour leader's target is to win the local council elections – as small as the majority may be – and become the "first government in recent history" to meet such a target.

Addressing the media, councillors, candidates and villagers at Marsaxlokk, the Labour leader said that the government was giving local councils more incentives and has increased their funding thanks to a decision to hold elections every five years.

A final decision to hold this year's elections was only taken a few months ago. It was later decided that an abrogative referendum on spring hunting would be held on the same day.

Muscat said Labour chose Marsaxlokk as a venue for the launch of candidates as "a symbolic location" to mark government's commitment in providing cleaner energy following the closure of the Marsa power station and the planned removal of the Delimara power station chimney and a switch to gas.

The Labour leader said he wanted Labour-elected councillors to think independently of the government, work for the residents and the community and confront government whenever they feel that the community was suffering.

The campaign has been dominated by what the central government did over the past two years.  In reply to questions, Muscat said that at the end of the day, the community was the one to feel first hand the work carried out by their local council, while the council should be the residents' advocate. He said that many local councils, irrespective of the party in government, sincerely worked to defend the interests of their residents.

"But I am here to talk about both the contributions of the local councils but also to remind people of the work we did over the past two years. I think it is legitimate to do so," Muscat added.