PL wins first round of Local Council Elections but suffers drop of 8% in votes

The Partit Laburista won the first round of Local Council Election in 23 localities across Malta and Gozo yesterday. The PN won back the St Paul's Bay Council but the PL retained Valletta and Pembroke, the former very comfortably. 

The Nationalist Party has increased its number of votes in almost all localities, the party said Wednesday.

The gap between the PN and Labour was cut by almost half, as the 20,055 difference between the two parties is now 11,757. The 28-seat gap is now reduced to 13.

The PN flipped the St Paul’s Bay council, where it won seven seats against Labour’s 5, while AD won the remaining seat.

In Mellieha, the PN achieved a majority of votes but the mayor is still to be decided because of a deadlock, as the PN and Labour won four seats each while the ninth was taken by an independent candidate.

Labour lost the majority in Zebbug, where there is another deadlock here as Labour won four seats, the PN three and two were taken by independent candidates.

The PN also won an additional seat in Dingli, Qrendi, Zurrieq, Birzebbuga, and Xewkija

Here is a table showing the percentage increases for the PN in each locality:

PN % Difference from 2019

Birzebbuga  +4.9%

San Giljan  +8.08%

Tarxien  + 1.52%

Iklin   +8.31%

Zurrieq  +5.75%

San Pawl il-Bahar +7.23%

Ta' Xbiex +3.76%

Sta Venera +2.29%

Ghajnsielem  +2.06%

Mellieha  +1.91%

Pembroke  +9.63%

Zejtun  +3.51%

Mqabba  +8.32%

Qrendi  +9.15%

Nadur  +1.6%

Marsa  +1.08%

Fontana  +3.7%

Dingli  +8.51%

Xewkija  +2.76%

Valletta  -7.25%

Haz Zebbug  -0.18%

Hal Balzan  -2.36%

Ghasri  -13.32%