The lesson from the local council elections

The elections in the localities of Kercem, Munxar, Qala, San Lawrenz, Xaghra, and Zebbug have come and gone. It is however interesting to ponder on the results and to learn the necessary lessons.

In the six localities overall, the Nationalist Party gained 4,434 first preference votes and the Malta Labour Party 2,838 or 60.63% and 38.81%, respectively. An independent candidate in Xaghra got 41 first preference votes or 0.56%.

In the same localities in 2001, the PN obtained 3,781 or 60.23%, the MLP 2,331 or 37.1% and an independent, also in Xaghra, got 166 or 2.64%. No independent was elected.

In this year's election, there were 1,035 more valid votes than in the 2001 election. As a result, both parties gained more votes, the PN 653, and the MLP 507. Percentagewise, the PN gained less than half a percentage point over the 2001 elections in the same localities; the MLP almost two percentage points. However, there was no change in the number of candidates returned by the parties in all six localities.

This significant increase in the number of voters is not due to a baby boom 18 years ago or so when the then electorate had begun to free itself from a long spell of Socialist rule.

First and foremost, this is the result of the scandalous increase in the number of residents of Malta and living in Malta registering with the Identity Card Office as living in Gozo, about which another time.

It is also due to a slight increase in the number of those who voted in four of the six localities, 2.65% in Kercem, 0.91% in Munxar, 5.41% in Xaghra, and 4.18% in Zebbug. However, two localities registered a slight percentage decrease: 0.18% in Qala and 0.76% in San Lawrenz.

Analysing particular localities, in Kercem the MLP gained 5.17% of the previous PN vote; in Munxar the PN gained 0.25% from the MLP; in Qala the MLP gained 1.57% from the former PN vote; in San Lawrenz, the MLP made the largest gain of 8.04%, inflicting the heaviest loss on the PN in a locality, the second smallest of Gozo.

In Zebbug, which includes part of Marsalforn, the PN increased its share slightly by 1.61%.

In Xaghra the PN gained most of the votes that in 2001 had gone to an independent candidate and increased its share by 6.85%. The MLP here lost its share by 1.14%. This notwithstanding projections that it was possible for the MLP to get a third seat and the mayorship of Xaghra.

This led to a number of voters, I know at least of two, who decided to change their ID cards from other villages to a Xaghra address to sway the result one way or another. Presumably, these will now change it again to their true residence to vote again next year.

The residents of these six localities generally seem to be happy with the administration of the area by their council and the improvements carried out in past years. Most of them decided in fact to keep their previous councillors.

However, the PN councillors, who return the mayor in all six localities, should do well to analyse why a number of people are not happy with their efforts. This is especially so in Kercem and San Lawrenz where the PN lost a good percentage share.

It is true that you cannot please all the people all the time. However, as the Maltese proverb goes, il-qasba ma ccaqcaqx ghal xejn (the reed does not crack without cause).