Labour heads for decisive victory

The Labour Party looked set to win a decisive victory in this year's round of local elections, in which the turnout was 68 per cent, which could have been higher perhaps had it not rained all day yesterday.

Exit polls carried out by the Nationalist Party last night predicted that the Labour Party would win an absolute majority of around 53 per cent and the PN 43 per cent, with the rest of the votes going to Alternattiva Demokratika and independent1 candidates.

In 2004, the last time elections were held in the same localities, the MLP won 50.2 per cent of the vote, with the Nationalists securing 46.4 per cent and AD 1.5 per cent.

Initial polls showed that the MLP gained ground in localities like Floriana, while the PN would retain its healthy majority in Siggiewi. Voter turnout in Nationalist strongholds like Swieqi fell dramatically.

In Munxar the Alternattiva Demokratika candidate obtained a respectable 11.7 per cent of the vote, and may even be elected.

All eyes are on Mosta, with the Labour Party trying to overturn the majority the Nationalists have enjoyed since the council's inception in 1993, by incessantly criticising the outgoing council for employing a handyman who receives Lm12,000 a year.

The 68 per cent average turnout in the 22 localities involved in yesterday's round represents a drop of 14 per cent compared with three years ago - but the 2004 elections were held in conjunction with the European Parliament election in June. In 2001, there was a turnout of 72 per cent.

The highest voter turnout yesterday was registered at Safi, while the lowest was in Swieqi, where just over half the eligible voters bothered to vote.

A total of 6,890 votes remained uncollected for yesterday's poll, which could well be the last before the general election.

Polling yesterday proceeded smoothly and there was hardly any queuing in any of the localities. Despite the strong winds and the occasional rainfall, a number of candidates and canvassers stood a short distance away from the polling stations in most localities as they attempted to squeeze out an eleventh-hour vote in their favour.

Once again, the Labour Party waged an intense electoral campaign, in stark contrast to the Nationalist Party, whose campaign was decidedly low-key.

The final run-up to the election was especially dominated by the hunting controversy. The hunters' federation went as far as to instruct its members - via a phone text message on the eve of the election - that they should show their "condemnation" for Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi through their vote. The prime minister had merely censured the hunters' behaviour during an incident-riddled protest in Valletta last Wednesday.

In the meantime, several traditional Nationalist supporters made it clear they would abstain or even give AD first preference in protest at the government for sanctioning spring hunting, in defiance of EU law.

Vote counting started in earnest last night at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta and at the Sports Complex in Victoria, Gozo.

A total of 242 candidates are vying for the 140 council seats. The first candidate to be elected was popular San Lawrenz mayor Noel Formosa (PN), who obtained 191 first-count votes.

All the official results should be known by this morning.