Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/779073
4 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 29 JANUARY 2017 MaltaToday Survey JAMES DEBONO THE Nationalist Party enjoys a small two-point lead over the La- bour Party in Gozo, a MaltaTo- day survey conducted among 600 Gozitan respondents shows. While 31% of voters intend to vote PN, 29% intend to vote for the PL and a third of respondents are either undecided or refused to reveal their voting intentions. Nearly seven per cent will not vote. Gozo, where the PN has seen its vote share slump from 55% in 2008 to 50% in 2013 and Labour increase its share from 43% in 2008 to 49% in 2013, is consid- ered to be a very strategic district which could determine the out- come of the next general elec- tion. An extrapolation of the results based only on the intentions of respondents who have made up their mind on who to vote for puts the PN at 51% and the PL at 48%. This suggests that the PN has gained ground over the 2013 election result but has still not recovered its 2008 level of sup- port. The survey suggests that the electorate in this strategic local- ity remains highly volatile. The survey shows Labour los- ing 10% of its 2013 voters to the PN and the PN losing 7% of its 2013 voters to the PL. The survey suggests that while making gains over 2013, the PN has still not re- covered its full strength of 2008. An extrapolation of the result would put the PN at 51% and La- bour at 48%. When asked to rate the perfor- mance of the two political leaders by a score of between 1 and 5, Jo- seph Muscat gets a slightly better mean score of 3.1 compared to Busuttil's 2.9. The survey shows that jobs, the lack of a bridge or tunnel con- necting the two islands and the state of the roads are the three major concerns of Gozitan vot- ers. Majority of switchers going back to PN The survey shows that 56% of Gozitan switchers (PN voters in 2008 who voted PL in 2013) have gone back to the PN while 31% will vote Labour again. But these gains by the PN are offset by 7% of PN voters in 2013 who will now vote PL. This sug- gests that in Gozo Labour is still making inroads among tradition- al PN voters. Disgruntled PL voters not switching Respondents were also asked whether they regret the way they had voted in the 2013 general election. The survey shows that 16% of PL voters in 2013 regret their choice. Only 5% of PN voters replied that they regret their choice. But when asked how they would vote 7% of PN vot- ers in 2013 would now vote PL while 10% of PL voters would vote PN. This shows that not all those regretting voting Labour are switching to the PN. It also shows that the PN is losing some voters who do not regret voting PN in 2013. Lack of tunnel is greatest personal problem Respondents were also asked to mention the problem which af- fects them directly on a personal level and which deserves to be PN leads by two points in Gozo A MaltaToday survey has found that Labour is losing 10% of its 2013 voters to the PN, but these gains are nowhere near the full strength the PN enjoyed in 2008 ALL PN voters PL voters Switchers PL (2008) PN (2008) PN 30.7% 80.2% 9.5% 56.3% 2.6% 78% PL 29% 6.9% 70.8% 31.3% 79.6% 9 AD 0.3% 0 0 0 1.3% 0 Not voting 6.6% 3.5% 5.2% 0 7.6% 3 Don't know 11.6% 9.3% 12.5% 12.4% 7.6% 10% No reply 21.8% 0 2% 0 1.3% 0 For which party will you vote if an election is held tomorrow? Jobs, the lack of a bridge or tunnel connecting the two islands and the state of the roads are the three major concerns of Gozitan voters