Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1462258
11 NEWS maltatoday | TUESDAY • 22 MARCH 2022 Third district – The other Labour stronghold BACK in 2017 Labour won 70% of the district of Zejtun, Ghaxaq Marsascala and Marsaxlokk, up from 62% in 2003. On the other hand, the PN's share of the vote has fallen from 37% in 2003 to just 29% in 2017. The current Labour incumbents are deputy PM Chris Fearne, Carmelo Abela, Jean Claude Micallef and Andy Ellul. Mi- callef became an MP in 2019 after he won a casual election to replace Helena Dalli after she became Malta's European Com- missioner. In 2017, Labour had also elected fam- ily doctor Silvio Grixti who resigned in December after he was interrogated by the police as part of an investigation into fraudulent medical certificates. He was re- placed by Andy Ellul, who is contesting on this district again. Ministers Owen Bonnici and Carmelo Abela are also contesting on this district; James Grech and Joseph M. Sammut had contested with the party as MEP candi- dates. The PN in 2018 only elected one MP from this district – party veteran Mario Galea, who shocked the party when he an- nounced that will not be seeking re-elec- tion on the first day of the campaign. Galea caused more ripples when he participated in a Labour party conference on mental health. Marsascala council's minority leader John Baptist Camilleri may make inroads over his stance against the yacht marina project. The PN's new candidates include former police officer Mary Muscat. The district is also being contested by MPs Ste- phen Spiteri and Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici. District 4 – The grab for Konrad Mizzi's votes IN 2017, Labour had won 67% of the vote the district of Paola, Gudja, Santa Luċija, Tarxien and part of Fgura, up from 59% in 2003 and 62% in 2008. The biggest unknown on Labour's side is who is going to inherit the votes of PL heavyweights Konrad Mizzi and Sil- vio Parnis, who will not be contesting. Back in 2017 Mizzi, who was expelled from the party in 2019, won 4,698 votes, coming a close second to deputy PM Chris Fearne, who will be contesting again. Parnis came third with 3,334 first count votes. The PN's frontrunners in 2017 were Jason Azzopardi and Carm Mifsud Bonnici. The election will be a major test for Azzopardi, who openly clashed with former party leader Adrian Delia and whose firebrand attacks on Labour make him a bête noire in Labour prop- aganda. Azzopardi will be competing with former Eurovision singer Julie Zahra, who is contesting her first elec- tion and is being pushed as a new face by the party, apart from featuring in a number of debates on behalf of the par- ty during this electoral campaign. Mark Anthony Sammut, who got 1,400 votes in 2017 and was prominent in the 2019 protests that led to the resignation of Joseph Muscat, has seen his stature in the party grow in the past legislature, and could also make further inroads in this district. On Labour's side, Fearne's popularity grew during the COVID crisis and is ex- pected to make a very strong showing. Labour MPs Jonathan Attard and for- mer disability commission chairperson Oliver Scicluna, both co-opted MPs, are well placed to capitalise on the Miz- zi-Parnis vacancies. Elected in 2017 on the fourth district: (Left to right, from top) Chris Fearne, Konrad Mizzi, Silvio Parnis, Byron Camilleri (PL); Jason Azzopardi (PN) – Casual election: Etienne Grech (PL) – Constitutional procedure: Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici (PN) Elected in 2017 on the third district: (Left to right, from top) Chris Fearne, Carmelo Abela, Helena Dalli, Silvio Grixti (PL); Mario Galea (PN) – Casual election: Jean Claude Micallef (PL)