Gino Cauchi favourite to take Chircop’s place in parliament
James Debono
Former journalist and One TV manager Gino Cauchi starts as favourite in casual elections to take the late Karl Chircop’s place in parliament following the Labour MP’s premature death last Sunday.
The former TVM newscaster and One TV head of news was eliminated on the thirteenth count at the last elections, after reaching a vote tally of 1,277.
The three Labour MPs elected from the district were Karl Chircop, Charles Mangion and Silvio Parnis.
Owen Bonnici and Joseph M. Sammut, who also contested the district, were already elected in previous casual elections in other districts.
The other Labour candidates contesting the fourth district were veteran MP and former deputy leader Joe Brincat, who was eliminated in the eight count with 289 votes; and Charles Mangion’s nephew Sebastian Muscat, who was eliminated on fourth count with just 91 votes.
Technically all three Labour MPs have an equal chance of being elected since they will start their vote tally from zero.
Ultimately the candidate who inherits most votes from Chircop will end up in parliament.
With a vote tally of 4,379 first preferences, Chircop emerged as the second most popular Labour MP on the district after Silvio Parnis.
Chircop surpassed the district quota of 3,660 votes by 719, which have been already distributed in the third count of last election.
As a result Cauchi inherited 119 votes, Brincat 39 votes and Muscat only 11 votes.
If the same pattern persists when the rest of Chircop’s votes are counted, Cauchi is the favourite to get Chircop’s seat in parliament.
In August, Gino Cauchi and fellow contender Joe Chetcuti withdrew from the race for MLP general-secretary a few days before the contest pitting Jason Micallef against Alfred Grixti and Joe Vella Bonnici.
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