There was some commotion at the counting hall at about 4.30pm when Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil visited the complex.

As he congratulated elected Nationalist councillors and spoke to party counting agents doing their job, there was a slight disturbance as Labour canvassers were not too keen to be embroiled in what seemed to be a Nationalist celebration.

Although the PN lost the election, there is some element of triumph among PN supporters, after the gap between the two sides was halved from 17 to 9 percent.

They are interpreting this as a first sign that the party is recovering from two successive heavy defeats in the general election and European Parliament election.

Shouts of “Nazzjonalisti, Nazzjonalisti” dominated the counting hall.