Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1462347
13 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 23 MARCH 2022 Borg's constituency THE seventh district of Dingli, Mġarrr, Imtarfa, Rabat, Żebbuġ was one of the battle ground districts won by the PN in 2003 and where Labour barely scraped the 50% mark in 2008. But Labour's dominance became more pronounced in 2013 and 2017 when the party won over 56% of the vote. Labour's ticket includes four cabinet ministers namely Ian Borg, Aaron Far- rugia, Julia Farrugia Portelli and Silvio Schembri. Borg, who hails from Dingli, starts as a frontrunner in a district from which he was elected by 5,566 votes in 2017. Also contesting is the popular Zebbug mayor Malcolm Agius Galea, a close ally of Robert Abela who may be in the run- ning through a casual election in case of a bye-election. On the PN side, Beppe Fenech Adami who gained 2,195 votes in 2017 will not be contesting on this district, having been moved to the ninth district at the last minute. Also missing is Godfrey Far- rugia a popular former Labour minister and independent mayor of Zebbug who contested on the PN ticket in 2017. Se- curing Farrugia's votes is vital for the PN to retain its 2017 vote tally. Former Adrian Delia is the most prom- inent candidate to be contesting on the PN side. While Delia is probably strong- er on the eighth district, getting elect- ed on two districts will strengthen the former party leader who may still have ambitions of his own. Labour's former Rabat mayor Charles Azzopardi is the most recognisable new candidate on the PN ballot sheet. District 8: The clash of the PN titans THE PN-leaning eight district which in- cludes Birkirkara has become more com- petitive with Labour seeing its share in- creasing from 37% in 2003 to 41% in 2008 and to 48% in 2013 when Labour clinched a historical third seat. But despite a fa- vourable national trend, Labour still saw its vote shrink to 45% in 2017 and the PN regaining its third seat. In that election Beppe Fenech Adami led the PN pack securing 6,484 votes fol- lowed by Therese Commodini Cachia with 1,523 votes. This time around Com- modini Cachia will not be contesting. But the party is fielding its former leader Adrian Delia in a direct clash with Fenech Adami, who was also one of the MPs who pushed for Delia's removal. Also contest- ing the district is PN Deputy leader David Agius who was also elected from the dis- trict in 2017. The PN's crowded field also includes Alex Perici Calascione, a leadership con- testant in 2017, the PN's minority lead- er on the Birkirkara local council Justin Schembri, and Eurovision singer Julie Zahra, who was given prominence in the party's media during the campaign itself. On the PL's side, both Edward Sciclu- na and Chris Cardona will not be re- contesting, and neither will Ian Castaldi Paris – who replaced Cardona through a casual election. Clyde Caruana's visibility as a finance minister and a close ally of the Prime Minister inevitably turns him into a frontrunner. He may also be La- bour's winning card among M.O.R. voters thanks to his sobriety and frankness. Edward Zammit Lewis, who was elected in a casual election in 2017 and whose rep- utation was bruised by leaked chats with Yorgen Fenech in which he described La- bour voters as fools ("gaħan") may be in jeopardy as he faces strong competition from Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo, Housing Minister Roderick Galdes, and parliamentary secretary Alex Muscat. SCHEMBRI SILVIO BORG IAN Elected in 2017 on the eighth district: (Left to right, from top) Edward Scicluna, Chris Cardona (PL); Beppe Fenech Adami, David Agius, Therese Comodini Cachia (PN) – Casual election: Edward Zammit Lewis, Ian Castaldi Paris (PL) Elected in 2017 on the seventh district: (Left to right, from top) Ian Borg, Edward Scicluna, Silvio Schembri (PL); Beppe Fenech Adami, Jean Pierre Debono (PN) – Casual election: Godfrey Farrugia (PN-PD)