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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 11 JUNE 2017 6 News TIM DIACONO AS the dust settles on the gen- eral election results, eyes are now turning to next week's casual elec- tions – with 13 seats still up for grabs as candidates elected on two districts give up one of their seats. Labour's executive convened yesterday to make its strategic decisions on which seven seats to free up for casual elections. Notably, it decided that civil lib- erties minister Helena Dalli should keep her seat on the 3rd district and abandon the 2nd – a move which paves the way for the Prime Minister's aide Glenn Bedingfield to gain a seat in Parliament. Bedingfield, who runs a contro- versial blog that targets critics of the Labour government, was elim- inated on the 2nd district at the 25th count after receiving 1,345 votes. His closest competitor in the upcoming casual election will be former parliamentary secre- tary Stefan Buontempo, who was eliminated on the 21st count after receiving 619 votes. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat will give up his seat on the fifth district, which will almost certain- ly lead to the election of former PL President Stefan Zrinzo Azzo- pardi, who only narrowly failed to get elected. Health minister Chris Fearne has given up his stronghold of the fourth district, a move that will see either the return of medical doctor Etienne Grech or the elec- tion of lawyer Andy Ellul. Qormi's firebrand mayor Ro- sianne Cutajar, who was recently communications chief to former parliamentary secretary Deborah Schembri, is also set to be elected to Parliament, after Labour de- cided that parliamentary secretary Silvio Schembri give up his seat on the sixth district. Former tourism minister Ed- ward Zammit Lewis and former digital economy minister Manuel Mallia are poised to return to Parliament as backbenchers after finance minister Edward Scicluna and social policy minister Michael Falzon gave up their seats on the 8th and 9th districts respectively. Former planning parliamentary secretary Deborah Schembri is al- so favourite to retain her seat after education minister Evarist Bartolo cedes his seat on the 12th district, but she could yet be beaten to it by Mellieha deputy mayor Clayton Bartolo. PN choices: Two routes to the House for David Thake With six of its seats up for grabs, the Nationalist Party will also need to make key strategic decisions, including whether to pave the way for the casual election of popular Radio 101 host David Thake. Thake performed admirably in both districts he contested: he received 1,928 votes at the 21st count in the 8th district and 1,864 votes at the 28th count in the 12th district. Thake will face off against St Paul's Bay mayor Graziella Galea – who received 1,257 votes at the 2nd count – if outgoing PN lead- er Simon Busuttil abandons the 12th district in favour of the 11th. Should he opt to keep the 12th in- stead, he will likely pave the way for the election of Mosta mayor Ivan Bartolo. Thake will also likely be elected to Parliament if either outgoing PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami or former PN Whip David Agius gives up their seats on the 8th district. In the unlikely scenar- io that both of them give up this seat, then the second seat will be taken up by TV presenter Norman Vella or teacher Justin Schembri. If Fenech Adami chooses instead to abandon the 7th district, then he will open a clear path for the re-election of accountant Antoine Borg. If David Agius abandons the 11th, then it will mean giving up his spot in favour of Mosta's Ivan Bartolo. Should both Busuttil and Agius abandon the 11th, then for- mer PN treasurer Alex Perici Ca- lascione is likely to be elected to the House. Another Ivan Bartolo – the founder of software company 6PM – is also likely to be elected to Par- liament in the likely scenario that Robert Arrigo abandons his spot on the 9th district in favour of his stronghold in the 10th. Marthese Portelli has a tough choice ahead of her – to stick with her traditional constituency of the 9th district or to focus on Gozo, the 13th district. If she follows Arrigo in ceding the 9th, then the seat will go to Swieqi mayor Noel Muscat, former MP Francis Zam- mit Dimech or St Julian's deputy mayor Albert Buttigieg. Giving up Gozo will open the door for Kevin Cutajar, a lawyer and PN Xaghra councillor. tdiacono@mediatoday.com.mt CASUAL ELECTIONS Parties strategize to fill up 13 remaining seats Labour opens doors for Glenn Bedingfield's casual election to Parliament, PN must decide whether to open door for radio tub-thumper David Thake Well, well, well... if it isn't the right honourable member. The Prime Minister's aide Glenn Bedingfield, whose blog targeted critics of the administration, could be set to take up a seat in the House PHOTO: JAMES BIANCHI Hungry for the second preferences: the PN candidates who could be up for a seat in the House (left to right, from top), Alex Perici Calascione, Ivan Bartolo, Norman Vella, Noel Muscat, Francis Zammit Dimech, Kevin Cutajar, Justin Schembri, Graziella Galea, Ivan Bartolo (6PM CEO) and Albert Buttigieg. On the right, the Labour candidates who are vying for a place in the House: from left to right, Deborah Schembri, Stefan Buontempo, Clayton Bartolo, Rosianne Cutajar, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Etienne Grech, Manuel Mallia and Edward Zammit Lewis