Wednesday saw the counting of the first group of localities which voted on Saturday.
As TVM reports the PL has won the majority in 16 localities including two where the majority was overturned. The Nationalist Party won the majority in seven of the 23 localities whose votes were counted yesterday.
MaltaToday reports that turnouts had already indicated that this could be a possibility since a 19-point drop in turnout from 2013 had been registered in the capital.
The Times reports that Labour Party won the Valletta council for the first time since council elections started to be held, piling more pressure on the Nationalist Party just days after the European elections debacle.
The PL will have four of the seven councillors in the capital, with One presenter Alfred Zammit netting the most votes to be elected mayor. In 2013, when the last Valletta local council election was held, the Nationalist Party had won 51.6% of the vote.
The Malta Independent reports how young activist Steve Zammit Lupi was elected to the Zebbug local council on an independent ticket last night having obtained 947 first preference votes – more than enough to see him win a seat on the first count.
Zammit Lupi, a tireless environmentalist who is also involved in the Bicycle Advocacy Group amongst other organisations, ran for the Zebbug council as an independent candidate.
MaltaToday reports Pembroke has retained its Labour majority and that incumbent Dean Hili will remain as its Mayor. After speculation that the locality will likely protest over the DB Group hotel development in the locality, Labour retains its dominance. A vote for Labour here amounted to 60%.
PL has also retained a majority in Dingli (73.9%), Imqabba (64%), Xewkija (69%), Qrendi (69%), Zejtun (80%) and also won the local council of Ta’ Xbiex (62%).
It’s a very slender win for PL in Mellieha too as it wins majority with just 87 votes or 48% of the vote. PN won 47% of the vote in this locality and AD took 4% or 258 of the votes.
The vote counting for the second group of local councils will continue today at the Vote Counting Complex in Naxxar. The names of the candidates who will be elected to the 21 local councils, 17 in Malta and 4 in Gozo will be known later this evening.
The localities whose votes will be counted today will be Fgura, M’Scala, Sliema, Rabat, B’Kara, Lija, M’Xlokk, Msida, Kalkara, Zabbar, San Gwann, Mgarr, Paola, Gudja, Għaxaq, Cospicua, and Pietà in Malta, as well as Rabat, Għarb, Xagħra and Sannat in Gozo. (TVM)
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