The counting process for the local elections held on June 12 came to an end early yesterday morning, having started on Saturday at 8 a.m.
Counting could not start when the elections ended because the counting for the EP elections, held on the same day, was done first.
The local elections were won by the Labour Party, which obtained an absolute majority of 50.2 per cent and elected 68 councillors. 68 councillors were also elected for the governing Nationalist Party, which obtained 46.4 per cent of the votes.
Alternattiva Demokratika, which only contested three councils, elected one councillor and obtained 1.5 per cent of the total votes cast. The independent candidates netted the remaining 1.9 per cent, three were elected.
Taking AD's vote just on the three localities it contested - Attard, Swieqi and Hamrun - AD's vote would amount to 6.9 per cent.
Though it lost the race for the votes, the Nationalist Party obtained a majority of councillors in 13 out of 22 councils - Siggiewi, Attard, Gzira, Gharghur, Kercem, Mosta, Munxar, Qala, Safi, San Lawrenz, Swieqi, Xaghra and Zebbug in Gozo.
The PN lost a seat to an independent candidate in Floriana, and gained one from Albert Rizzo in Gzira, who used to contest and be elected as an independent but this round contested with the PN.
The PN lost seats to Labour in Qormi, Paola and Sta Lucija and a seat to AD in Swieqi. AD did not contest any of these localities three years ago.
The MLP obtained a majority in Vittoriosa, Qormi, Birzebbuga, Floriana, Hamrun, Luqa, Marsaxlokk, Paola and Sta Lucija. It lost a seat in Marsaxlokk to independent candidate Carmelo Bugeja, the former Labour mayor of the village, who this time round had not been allowed to contest on his party's ticket.
Two independent candidates were elected in Floriana, AD elected a councillor in Swieqi and an independent candidate was elected in Marsaxlokk.
A total of 20 women were elected in 13 councils, 13 for the PN, seven for the MLP.
Three years ago, an election had not been held in Safi, when the number of contestants matched the number of councillors who needed to be elected.
The candidates elected in this year's local elections are:
Vittoriosa: Melvin Attard for the PN and John Boxall, Emmanuel Attard, Christopher Cassar and Victoria Butters for the MLP.
Qormi: Ralph Puli, Angelo Briffa, Margaret Mercieca and Keith Psaila for the PN and Roderick Galdes, Jesmond Aquilina, Jason Busuttil, Kenneth Busuttil, George Galea, Dennis Zammit and Thomas Harmsworth for the MLP.
Siggiewi: Robert Musumeci, Norbert Farrugia, Karol Aquilina and Mark Anthony Vassallo for the PN and Nicholas Cassar, Karl Borg and Beppe Farrugia for the MLP.
Attard: Norbert Pace, Mark Anthony Spiteri, Remigio Bartolo, Stefan Cordina and Herbert Messina Ferrante for the PN and John Bonnici and Alfred Zammit for the MLP.
Birzebbuga: Rocco Zahra and Sarah Cuschieri for the PN and Joseph Baldacchino, Bernardette Pace, Jesmond Borg and Anthony Roberts for the MLP.
Floriana: Connie Holland for the PN, John Mary Brincat and Brian Zammit for the MLP, Nigel Holland for Floriana l-Ewwel and Publio Agius for Agenda Socjali ghal Floriana.
Gzira: Albert Rizzo, Ian Micallef, Malcolm Camilleri and Barbara Rose Buttigieg for the PN and Joseph Zammit, Anthony Grech and Anthony Abela for the MLP.
Gharghur: Mario Gauci, Mark Azzopardi and Anabel Cauchi for the PN and Michael Mifsud and Alfred Muscat for the MLP.
Hamrun: Paula Mifsud Bonnici, Cedric Valletta, Omar Bugeja and Judith Bernardette Bugeja for the PN, and Luciano Busuttil, Vincent Bonello, Carmen Borg, Anthony Borg Caruana and Aaron Formosa for the MLP.
Kercem: Joseph Grima, Mario Azzopardi and Horace Anthony Vella for the PN, and Saverio Grech and Raymond Azzopardi for the MLP.
Luqa: Victor Caruana and Monica Camilleri for the PN, and John Schembri, Saviour Schembri, Joseph Paul Piscopo, Joseph Camilleri and Joseph Penza for the MLP.
Marsaxlokk: William Pomroy for the PN, Edric Micallef, Remigio Cassar and Stephen Caruana for the MLP and Carmelo Bugeja as an independent.
Mosta: Joseph P. Demartino, John Mary Camilleri, Joseph John Vella, Stanley Mangion, Marthese Mifsud and David Meilak for the PN, and Josette Agius Decelis, Mario Sammut, Aleander Balzan, Paul Agius and Josephine Camilleri for the MLP.
Munxar: Joseph Sultana, Raymond Cini and Mark Bajada for the PN and Carmen Said and Robert Mallia for the MLP.
Paola: Duncan Borg Myatt and Laurence Azzopardi for the PN and Raymond Attard, Stefan Zahra, Anthony Brincat, Bernard Sean Lynch and Clint Tanti for the MLP.
Qala: Paul Buttigieg, Victor Grech and Lorne Joseph Cremona for the PN, and Anthony Camilleri and Ivan Falzon for the MLP.
Safi: Peter Paul Busuttil, Alexis Callus and Jerome Busuttil for the PN, and Edward Bonello and Francis Callus for the MLP.
San Lawrenz: Noel Formosa, Anthony Formosa, Luiga Grima and Michelina Mercieca for the PN, and Joseph Sultana for the MLP.
Sta Lucija: Carmelo Bezzina for the PN, and Frederick Cutajar, Joseph Balzan, Joseph M. Bonello and Victor Camilleri for the MLP.
Swieqi: Carmen Said, Kurt Jonathan Vella Fonde, Alfred Curmi, Sandra Hyzler and Anthony Barbaro Sant for the PN, Mario Grazio Fava for the MLP and Benjy Psaila for Alternattiva Demokratika.
Xaghra: Anthony Attard, Carmelino Refalo and Joseph Spiteri for the PN, and Joseph Cordina and Mary Carmen Bajada for the MLP.
Zebbug, Gozo: Harry Debono, Carmelo Saliba, Joseph Bajada and Emanuel Bezzina for the PN, and Joseph Camilleri for the MLP.