Caruana wins third term in British colony Gibraltar

Chief Minister Peter Caruana won a third term in office in Gibraltar yesterday, as voters backed his fierce resistance to Spain's attempt to win sovereignty over the British colony.

The election on Thursday took place a year after Mr Caruana called a surprise referendum which overwhelmingly rejected negotiations between London and Madrid to share sovereignty over the enclave on Spain's southern coast.

The referendum was non-binding but its 99-per cent "No" vote effectively derailed sovereignty talks. It forced the British government to state it would not ignore the wishes of Gibraltarians.

"Our record on international affairs has been recognised by the electorate, and I now pledge to focus on domestic issues," Mr Caruana said in his acceptance speech.

Gibraltar remains a rare point of dispute between Britain and Spain, two European Union members and Nato partners whose prime ministers, Tony Blair and Jose Maria Aznar, are close personal friends.

The 47-year-old Caruana, who leads the centre-right Gibraltar Social Democrats, won 51 per cent of the vote.

He comfortably beat his chief rival Joe Bossano, 64, of the centre-left Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party, who received 40 per cent of votes. Turnout was lower than expected, with some 14,610 voters, or roughly 75 per cent of the electorate.

Spain ceded the barren outcrop to Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, but has been trying to take it back ever since.