Councillors should work for the people and not for their government or party, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said this morning during the launch of Labour’s team of candidates for the April council elections in Marsaxlokk this morning.

The Labour Party is presenting 177 candidates in Malta and Gozo, including 58 young people.

Dr Muscat encouraged people to vote in the election, especially the 16-year-old, who would be doing so for the first time.

The Prime Minister said these were difficult elections for the Labour Party as they were taking place in the midst of a legislature and the PL’s aim was to obtain a majority of votes, no matter how small.

He noted that six seats were reduced from councils with a Labour majority due to redistribution.

Dr Muscat said Labour was launching its campaign in Marsaxlokk in a symbolic gesture following the closure of the Marsa power plant as the country was closer than ever to convert to gas for electricity generation enabling the dismantling of the Delimara chimney.

In the afternoon, Dr Muscat launched the Gozitan campaign in Xaghra saying the party was presenting 32 Gozitan candidates, one of the strongest teams ever presented.