Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1455666
TRUTH IS OF NO COLOUR WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT/NEWS/ELECTION-2022 maltatoday UKRAINE RUSSIA Converging slogans: why PN and PL slogans are so similar PAGES 10-11 €1.95 Golden passports and SWIFT, Labour ministers stick to EU line on Russia sanctions PAGE 4 GENERAL ELECTIONS 2022 The numbers that tell a story Saviour Balzan on Labour's abstention problem MT2 LABOUR U-TURNS PAGE 5 Election eve brings green redemption on Marsaskala PAGE 12 SUNDAY • 27 FEBRUARY 2022 • ISSUE 1165 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY KURT SANSONE MALTATODAY'S first survey of the electoral campaign shows La- bour suffering from higher voter abstention within its ranks, when compared to the February survey. An election held now will see the Labour Party winning with 52.5% and an advantage of almost 23,000 votes over the Nationalist Party, MaltaToday's first survey for the election shows. The PN's support stands at 44.9%, while that for the small parties collectively stands at 2.6%. The share of valid votes FULL SURVEY PAGES 8-9 Labour hit by voter abstention as lead cut to 23,000 votes MALTATODAY SURVEY Labour suffering from higher voter abstention within its ranks compared to 6 February PL 52.5% - 156,612 votes PN 44.9% - 133,967 votes SMALL PARTIES 2.6% - 7,732 votes Gap PL-PN 7.6% - 22,645 votes MaltaToday survey projected election result 597 respondents (21/2/22-26/2/22) • est. margin of error 4.3% • confidence 95% overall cast (not turn out) is expected to be 84%, a considerable drop from the 90.9% it was in the last general election. Robert Abela's trust rating has continued to decline and now stands at 41.9% but Ber- nard Grech fails to capitalise with his rating dropping to 29%. This is the third consecutive decline in the trust rating for the Labour leader. But Grech fails to make any inroads. EXTRAPOLATED RESULT Dishonourable companions Putin's Speaker still a Republic Day honoree as Italy revokes honours granted to Russians MATTHEW VELLA COUNTLESS property buy- ers have been caught up by a Budget property tax bungle that is costing them thousands of euros in refused tax refunds. The Inland Revenue Depart- ment has informed notaries that it will not refund prop- erty taxes levied on Urban Conservation Area property acquisitions contracted be- tween October and Decem- ber 2020, despite a budgetary measure that removed both capital gains tax and property tax (boll) on UCA homes up to €750,000. PAGE 3 No refunds on UCA property tax leaves buyers, notaries smarting