Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/319158
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 28 MAY 2014 News 5 Labour gets bigger in Gozo tanker and other environmental problems in the area. Stalemate in the north On the other hand, in the eighth, ninth and tenth and eleventh dis- tricts, both parties lost roughly the same percentage of 2013 vot- ers and both registered losses to third parties. Compared to 2009, the eleventh district has seen the sharpest in- crease of Nationalist voters (680). In this district, Labour voters also increased by 370. This was one of the few districts where compared to 2009, the PL lost more support than the PN. But even here, the PN fails to make any inroads due to strong presence of AD, which peaks at 4.4% in this district. In the twelfth district the PN scraped through with a razor-thin majority, as was already the case in 2009. In the tenth district the PN saw a decrease of 152 voters since 2009, while Labour has seen a drop of 340 voters. This suggests that in this PN-leaning district this time around, more PL voters stayed at home than PN voters. Both par- ties lose an equal number of votes when compared to 2013 figures. The result of this district shows both parties losing a few points to Norman Lowell's Imperium Eu- ropa. Clash of the minnows Imperium Europa leads AD in all six southern districts except in the fourth district where the two par- ties score an equal percentage. But AD gets more support than IE in all districts between the sev- enth and the thirteenth. Compared to the general elec- tion, AD increased its vote tally in all districts except the tenth dis- trict – which includes Sliema and St Julian's, where it has also held local council seats in the past. Surprisingly in the tenth district, AD sees its votes decline from 741 in the 2013 general election to 736 votes now. Due to the drop in turn- out, AD still managed to increase its share of the vote in this district by 0.7%. But this district defies the gener- al trend which shows smaller par- ties faring better in the European elections than in general elections. Despite this drop, the AD vote in the tenth district in these elec- tions is still higher than it was in 2009 when only 665 had voted AD. While in 2009 AD registered its highest support in the tenth district (3.9%), in this election it registers its highest support in the eleventh district (4.4%). But it was on the fourth and fifth districts that AD managed to reg- ister the most substantial increase in votes. In the fourth district the AD vote increased by 273 since last year's general election, and by 207 since the 2009 MEP election. In the fifth district, the AD vote increases by 245 since last year's general election and by 241 since 2009. Compared to 2009, AD's vote has increased by 76% in the fifth dis- trict, which includes Birzebbugia and Marsaxlokk. The results show that in these elections, AD has registered a sig- nificant increase of votes in the southern districts but still gets its best results in the relatively more aff luent ninth (Swieqi, San Gwann, Msida) and eleventh districts (At- tard, Balzan, Mosta) where it gets 4.4% of the vote. AD also surpass- es the 4.1% mark on the tenth dis- trict, where it got most votes in the past general election. AD still gets it worse results in the first district, which includes Valletta, the sixth district, which includes Qormi, and in Gozo (13th). In Gozo the party regis- ters its only small decline over the 2009 MEP elections. IE gets its best result in the St Paul's Bay district (12th) where it gets 3.5% – just 0.2 points less than AD. In this locality the number of IE voters has increased by 325. IE gets more than 3% in the south- ern fifth district and the central ninth district. The extreme right gets its worse result in Gozo where it gets only 1.7%. With AD and IE both relatively weak, Nazzareno Bonnici of Tal-Ajkla registers his best success, winning more than 1% of the vote. The elections indicate that al- though on opposite ideological poles, both AD and IE enjoy higher support in the north of Malta. In the twelfth district, both parties surpass the 3% mark. But while IE surpasses AD in the southern districts, AD attracts substantially more support in the northern district. Ultimately AD got 631 votes more than Lowell's party thanks to its stronger results in the 9th, 10th and 11th districts. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Comparison with 2013 general elections (vote share %) AD Change PN Change PL IE First District 1.8 +0.6 40 -3.9 55 +0.1 +2.5 Second District 2 +0.8 24.6 -3.1 69.3 -1.5 +3 Third District 2.7 +1.2 25.9 -4 67.3 -1.2 +2.9 Fourth District 2.8 +1.8 29.1 -3 64.3 -2.5 +2.8 Fifth District 2.8 +1.5 28.7 -2.1 65.2 -1.7 +3 Sixth District 1.9 +1 37.3 -2.5 57.6 -1.7 +2.3 Seventh Districts 2.6 +1.1 38.9 -3.1 55.2 -1.3 +2.3 Eight District 3.4 +0.8 47.4 -2.2 45.3 -2.6 +2.9 Ninth District 4.3 +1.3 50.7 -3.4 41.2 -1.6 +3.2 Tenth District 4.1 +0.7 54.7 -2.6 37.7 -1.6 +2.8 Eleventh District 4.4 +1.5 51.7 -3.1 40.1 -2.2 +2.9 Twelfth District 3.7 +1.4 45.9 -4.6 45.7 -1.5 +3.5 Thirteenth District 1.9 +1.8 45.5 -4.6 49.5 +0.4 +1.7 Vote gains and losses, and % change from 2013 AD % change PN % change PL % change First District +191 +71 -2604 -26 -2334 -19 Second District +166 +76 -1719 -27 -3191 -20 Third Districts +176 +51 -1974 -28 -2942 -18 Fourth District +273 +107 -1820 -25 -3139 -20 Fifth District +245 +78 -1917 -25 -3176 -20 Sixth District +144 +66 -2030 -22 -2653 -19 Seventh District +144 +38 -2429 -24 -2675 -19 Eighth District +64 +11 -2558 -22 -2585 -23 Ninth District +87 +12 -3023 -24 -2227 -23 Tenth District -5 -1 -2853 -23 -1906 -22 Eleventh District +194 +27 -2722 -20 -2063 -20 Twelfth District +151 +28 -3081 -25 -2371 -22 Thirteenth Districts +203 +97 -2900 -23 -1809 -15 Comparison between 2009 and 2014 MEP elections (vote share) AD Change PN Change PL IE First District 1.8 +0.4 40 -0.9 55 -0.6 2.5 +1.3 Second District 2 +0.6 24.6 +0.6 69.3 -3 3 +1.8 Third District 2.7 +0.8 25.8 -2.1 67.3 -0.2 2.9 +1.5 Fourth District 2.8 +1.1 29.1 -0.6 64.3 -2 2.8 +1.4 Fifth District 2.8 +1.1 28.7 -0.1 65.2 -2.1 3 +1.4 Sixth District 1.9 +0.5 37.3 +0.1 57.6 -1.9 2.3 +1.2 Seventh District 2.6 +0.7 37.3 -2.1 55.2 +1.5 2.3 +1.2 Eight District 3.4 +0.7 47.4 -0.4 45.3 -1.5 2.9 +1 Ninth District 4.3 +0.4 50.7 +0.3 41.2 -1.7 3.2 +1.4 Tenth District 4.1 +0,2 54.7 -0.1 37.7 -1.3 2.8 +1.3 Eleventh District 4.4 +0.6 51.7 -0.3 40.1 -1.1 2.9 +0.9 Twelfth District 3.7 +0.5 45.9 -1.6 45.7 -1.8 3.5 +1.7 Thirteenth District 1.9 -0.1 45.5 -2 49.5 +1.4 1.7 +0.6 Vote gains and losses and % change from 2009 MEP election AD % change PN % change PL % change IE % change First District +84 +33 -151 +2 -57 -1 +232 +103 Second District +115 +43 -18 -0.4 -771 -6 +242 +108 Third District +136 +36 -633 -11 -630 -5 +292 +120 Fourth District +207 +65 -172 -3 -546 -4 +249 +90 Fifth District +241 +76 +248 +4 +39 0 +295 +94 Sixth District +96 +36 +49 +1 -238 -2 +242 +115 Seventh District +139 +37 +45 +1 -93 -1 +245 +111 Eight District +140 +27 -7 0 -223 -3 +202 +58 Ninth District +96 +14 +163 +2 -223 -3 +230 +70 Tenth District +71 +11 -152 -2 -340 -5 +224 +82 Eleventh District +168 +23 +680 +7 +370 +5 +213 +55 Twelfth District +112 +19 +45 +1 +194 +2 +325 +102 Thirteenth District +3 +1 +322 +3.5 +1054 +11 +128 +55 Therese Comodini Cachia Despite a small increase in turnout among PN voters, it is small parties which gain most from the PL's 2-point drop from 2009 levels