The Nationalist Party yesterday regained control of at least three councils, despite obtaining a minority of votes in the local elections.
As the ballot boxes of the June 6 election were opened yesterday, the PN increased its share of votes and managed to win back the majorities it lost three years ago in Mtarfa, Pietà and San Ġwann.
The Labour Party still won a majority with 55 per cent of the votes cast compared with the PN's 44 per cent, reflecting the 35,000-vote majority it obtained at the European Parliament elections. However, the PL lost votes in 11 councils.
In the same 23 localities three years ago, Labour drew 53.9 per cent of the votes cast while the PN got 42.9 per cent. In 2003, Labour had obtained 46.97 per cent and the PN had 48.9 per cent.
When contacted yesterday evening, PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier said the party was pleased that it achieved a positive result in a number of towns and villages. In Sliema, he said, the PN had increased its vote by seven per cent.
He said that although there was nothing to celebrate, it was evident that the local council election result did not mirror the EP election result, which meant that people were voting on local issues.
The performance of Alternattiva Demokratika's three candidates was miserable in this round of elections, matching the party's performance at the EP contest which led to the resignation of chairman Arnold Cassola.
AD's candidate in Għarb, Victor Galea, got 99 first count votes but was eliminated after he fell short by just five votes. The PN managed to retain its majority in Għarb, and David Apap Agius was confirmed as mayor.
AD's Sliema candidate Michael Briguglio obtained just over 400 first count votes, a disappointing result for the councillor.
The Labour Party held on to the hotly-contested council in Msida where the PN was hoping to regain the majority it lost three years ago. Labour's newcomer Clifton Grima was elected mayor after receiving 783 votes on the first count.
The situation in Birkirkara, the largest town in Malta, was still in the balance at the time of going to print.
Although party indications showed that the PN had a slight advantage over Labour - just 200 votes - the situation was fluid since candidates had not yet been eliminated.
Labour candidate Joanne Borg achieved the highest number of first count votes of any candidate, 2,984, though Birkirkara mayor Michael Fenech Adami obtained 2,829 votes - double the number he obtained last time round.
In Pietà, former mayor Malcolm Mifsud returned to the post after an absence of three years. In 2006, the incinerator at St Luke's Hospital was deemed to have cost the PN its majority government. It has since been decommissioned.
The Labour Party strengthened its position in towns such as Rabat where it wrestled the majority from the PN in 2003. Here, incumbent mayor Sandro Craus was confirmed in his position after he received 2,436 first count votes.
In Sliema, PN's Nikki Dimech, who was openly supported by PN backbencher Robert Arrigo, got the mayor's seat, while in Naxxar, former Health Minister Louis Deguara's wife, Maria Fatima, was confirmed mayor for the third time.
Outspoken Lija mayor Ian Castaldi Paris - who was the victim of an arson attack on his home and car last April - was confirmed as mayor. He increased his first count votes from 325 in 2006 to 874.
Sannat's new Labour mayor is 23-year-old newcomer Philip Vella who was elected with 338 first count votes. The PN snatched a second seat previously occupied by an AD councillor who this time contested with the Labour Party. He obtained just 17 first count votes.
Marsascala's mayor Mario Calleja was reconfirmed mayor after achieving a 220 per cent increase in first count votes over three years ago. This time round, he got 1,855 first count votes.
Paediatrician Chris Fearne's mother, Carmen, was elected to the council on the first count. Mrs Fearne had endorsed Labour leader Joseph Muscat during the leadership contest last year.
Labour's Tarxien mayor, Paul Farrugia, was reconfirmed for the fourth time.
Mdina, which had just 268 registered voters, was the first locality to elect all five councillors, with the PN's Peter Dei Conti Sant Manduca being confirmed mayor.
In Kalkara, mayor and Local Council Association president Michael Cohen retained his post for another term. Żabbar's mayor is Labour candidate Dominic Agius, who amassed 2,282 first count votes.
The PN's candidate in Victoria, Samuel Azzopardi, was elected mayor with 634 first count votes while Fgura's mayor Darren Marmara was reconfirmed after getting 1,570 first count votes. In Cospicua, Joseph Scerri was again confirmed the locality's mayor.