The race for mayor of Floriana may not be resolved in the immediate future, as both Nigel Holland, independent, and Brian Zammit, for the MLP, laid claim to the top post on the council in the wake of Saturday’s local election, which returned two councillors from each of the two main parties, and the independent.

Mr Holland was elected with 15 votes short of the quota. Mr Zammit, on the other hand, had more than three times as many first count votes as Mr Holland.

Because no party has an absolute majority, and the council is made up of an independent councillor and two Labour and two Nationalist councillors, Mr Holland could end up being appointed mayor in the event of a standoff between the two parties. The law gives the minister responsible for local councils the right to choose the mayor if the councillors fail to agree between themselves.

Contacted by The Malta Independent, both Mr Holland and Mr Zammit confirmed their determination to occupy the post vacated by Publio Agius, also an independent, who was not re-elected.

Mr Holland won 137 first count votes and was elected on the seventh count, with 15 votes short of the quota, following a closely fought battle with Malta Labour Party candidate Vincent Borg.

Mr Holland was trailing Mr Borg by the odd vote on the sixth count, and demanded a recount after a vote was declared invalid. Chief Commissioner Edward Gatt intervened personally and validated the vote, bringing the two candidates’ tally to 228. Mr Holland was declared elected on the strength of his 30-vote advantage of first count votes.

Speaking to The Malta Independent, Mr Holland confirmed his intention of taking the mayor’s job. Having twice been mayor of Floriana, Mr Holland said he had the necessary experience to do the job.

“This is not about prestige, but about wanting to work for the best of our community.”

When told that on Sunday, MLP leader Alfred Sant had declared that Labour’s performance in the locality warranted the post of mayor, Mr Holland said the political parties had already given their support to two independent mayors and nothing barred them from doing so again.

Brian Zammit, for the MLP, has a strong claim. He polled 485 first-count votes, so felt that the electors had clearly shown who they wished to be their mayor. He said it would be unfair if a candidate who had won fewer first-count votes than two other elected candidates should become mayor.

Mr Zammit bases his claim on the fact that he received 33.4 per cent of the valid votes cast. “It (if Mr Holland became mayor) would also be unfair for the Nationalist voters whose candidates performed better,” he said. The parties should allow their representatives a free vote, said Mr Zammit, and leave individual councillors to sort out the issue. He expressed his personal opinion that Floriana should have a Labour mayor and a Nationalist deputy.

PN councillor Edward Torpiano, who polled 154 first-count votes, said he did not agree that the parties should allow the councillors a free vote. He said that decisions taken in connection with this matter must be taken by the parties. “Since we contest elections under a party ticket, we must accept decisions taken by our own party,” he said.

Commenting on the situation in Floriana, Mr Torpiano agreed that “Floriana is an anomaly and electoral law does not address such scenarios. Such results have already happened here.”

Although he was not aware of any talks regarding the issue, Mr Torpiano did not exclude the possibility that the PN and the MLP could strike a deal.

“This has happened before,” he said.