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Another electoral defeat greeted Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday upon his arrival from Brussels as the Malta Labour Party won the absolute majority of votes at the Local Council elections held in 22 localities, wining 50.17 per cent of the vote.
The Nationalist Party lost 2 per cent of its support when compared to the last elections in the same localities in 2001, garnering only 46.43 per cent of overall votes in this election.
Alternattiva Demokratika, which fielded candidates in H’Attard, Swieqi and Hamrun, won more than 10 per cent in the first two localities and only 2 per cent in the latter, electing one candidate in Swieqi.
With voter turnout at 82 per cent, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday said the higher turnout than usual (up by 11 per cent over 2001) benefited Labour.
“The results confirm that Labour did not increase votes over last year’s general election,” Gonzi said. “This is no swing towards Labour. Before they go out to celebrate they would do better to conduct a serious analysis of this vote, as much as we need to analyse it ourselves,” the defiant Prime Minister added.
He added that the electorate wanted to give a message that it wanted a serious government.
The Labour Leader said the message from this vote was simple: “People are fed up of listening to empty words. They want to know how jobs are going to be created…we have to meet their aspirations…they want a change of leadership.”
The PN fared best in Xaghra, Luqa, Qala and Gzira and Mosta, retaining its overall share in Gozo, while Labour increased its support in Qormi, Hamrun, Vittoriosa, Siggiewi, Santa Lucija, Birzebbuga, Floriana, and Paola, confirming its stronghold in the South.
Sant said his party will continue pushing forward the issues related to “work, care and dignity” at local, national and European levels.
The former mayor of San Lawrenz (PN), Noel Formosa, was the first candidate to be elected yesterday while former Labour Qormi Mayor Roderick Galdes garnered the most first count votes, winning a new seat for the MLP. However Galdes will be taking John Attard Montalto’s seat in parliament.
The only AD candidate elected was Benji Psaila, while Malta’s only independent mayor, Nigel Holland was re-elected in Floriana.
Well known candidates that were elected include the PN’s Robert Musumeci and Albert Rizzo and the MLP’s John Boxall.
Floriana registered the best success for independent candidates: two were elected, with the PN losing a seat and Labour retaining its two seats.
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