Nationalist deputy leader Simon Busuttil garnered the highest number of first preference votes after the party leaders, making a good showing on both districts he contested.

On the other hand, Labour’s deputy Louis Grech was struggling on the eleventh district, normally contested by his predecessor Anġlu Farrugia, although he was elected by a wide margin on the first district. A total of 13 candidates made it to the House of Representatives on the first count.

Labour Leader Joseph Muscat was the most popular candidate in the second, staunchly Labour district, with 85.6 per cent of all those voting Labour giving him their first preference. Of the two districts he contested, Dr Gonzi’s strongest personal support came from the second district, where he won nearly 80 per cent of PN number ones.

Dr Busuttil was the only other candidate elected on the first count from both districts he contested. On the 11th, which includes his hometown of Mosta, he obtained 58 per cent of the Nationalist vote and more than 50 per cent on the ninth, raking in a total of 14,440 personal votes.

While winning a straight 5,626 votes on the first district, Mr Grech was having a tough time on the 11th and was surpassed by Anthony Agius Decelis, who got 200 more first preference votes.

Beyond the leaders and their deputies, Gozo’s Anton Refalo enjoyed the strongest support on the Labour ticket while Mario de Marco was the most popular PN candidate. Dr Refalo was confirmed in Gozo with 4,264 first count votes and 42.7 per cent of the Labour votes. Dr de Marco was the resounding winner in the only district he contested – Valletta, Ħamrun, Floriana and part of Marsa – with 4,448 first preference votes representing nearly 45 per cent of the Nationalist vote on this district. Other good showings were by Beppe Fenech Adami, who won nearly 500 votes more than Tonio Fenech on the eighth district, George Pullicino who turned in a strong performance on the 10th district for the PN, and Giovanna Debono who captured the largestnumber of Nationalist first preferences in Gozo.

Marie Louis Coleiro Preca, Karmenu Vella, Owen Bonnici and Ian Borg were the Labour candidates with the next-best performances.