The Nationalist Party is bracing itself for another battering when the local council election votes are counted today, with the worst news being the possible loss of a majority at Birkirkara, traditionally a PN fortress.
Although Labour's predictions show that the situation in Birkirkara still hangs in the balance, PN sources said their own projections show a 400-vote majority for the Labour Party (PL) at this locality.
But the caution is warranted by the fact that there are 1,500 votes on whom the parties do not have any data in a locality that was decided by 85 votes in 2006.
Both parties have based their predictions on the way people voted in the European Parliament elections, which means they are assuming that most people would have voted for the same party in the EP and council elections.
Sources at Mile End are being cautious, saying this could be misleading. They said there were instances when Labour won the majority in a council election but then lost it in a general election vote.
However, the party is confident it will win back the majority it had lost in Mtarfa when the council was reconstituted a year ago.
While being aware of the possibility of people voting for different parties in the two elections, sources at Pietà believe that once the mood of the electorate has swung against PN in the European elections, the councils will follow.
However, their figures also show that they could possibly win back the majority they lost three years ago in the San Ġwann and Pietà councils.
With regard to the situation in Msida, the PN and the PL have contradictory projections. While the PN are looking at a slim majority, Labour are seeing a 47-45 situation in its favour.
In 2006, in Msida, Labour won the majority with just 223 votes. In Birkirkara, the situation was even worse as the PN won the majority with just 85 first count votes to spare.
Labour snatched the overall majority in 2006 when local elections in the same localities were last held. It had overturned the PN's relative majority achieved in the 2003 elections, when polling day was held on the same day as the EU referendum.
Labour had obtained 54 per cent of the vote and achieved the majority in 15 or the 23 local councils. While Labour increased its vote intake by seven per cent, the PN lost six per cent.
The MLP also elected 12 additional councillors at the expense of PN, which lost these 12.
Although this year's turnout in all 23 localities increased by 11 per cent to 77 per cent over the turnout in the 2006 round, it is still 11 per cent lower than the 88 per cent who voted in the 2003 election when it coincided with the EU referendum.
The turnout decrease reflects apathy among people who are turning away from politics in everyday life, but also many PN voters' angry at their own party in government.
The turnout was lowest in traditional PN stronghold Sliema with just 64 per cent voting. Although the turnout in this locality increased over the 59 per cent who voted in 2006, there are many disgruntled people in Sliema, mainly PN supporters.
In the 2006 election in Sliema, Labour and AD cashed in as the PN saw an eight per cent dive in its support - from 70.2 per cent in 2003 to 62.6. AD's support had gone up by three per cent while Labour garnered an extra six per cent in votes.
Last Saturday's election saw low turnouts in Marsascala, the Gozitan village of Għarb, Msida and Naxxar. Turnout was high in Mdina, Kalkara, Mtarfa and was the highest in Xgħajra.
The votes cast last Saturday will be opened at 8 a.m. today and the long and winding laborious process of sorting and counting will then start.