The result

Elections were held on March 12 in Malta in various localities across the islands. The Malta Labour Party won the absolute majority. Approximately 68% of the eligible voters turned up on votation day. In Malta the vast majority of the electorate normally votes on votation days, with normal averages way above 92% for general elections.

The number of councillors for each locality is determined according to the population in the locality, where 5 is the minimum and 13 the maximum number of councillors.

A treath to democracy

The Nationalist Party has been accused of threating democracy in Malta by reducing the number of candidates just minutes before the closing stuplated time for accepting nominations. Two localities (Marsa and Zejtun, both famous for being Malta Labour Party strongholds) did not vote in these elections because of this reason.

This decision has been strongly criticized and many Nationalists too did not agree with such 'strategic measures', as quoted by the Maltese Prime Minister, Lawrence Gonzi.