In what was described as a satisfactory result by both major political parties, local council elections 2008 resulted in 12 local councils with a Nationalist Party majority with 46 per cent of the votes and 11 local councils with a Labour Party majority with 52 per cent of the votes.

Over the past three years, there was a five per cent increase in votes for the PN and an increase of three per cent for MLP. A total of 70 PN councillors were elected – an increase of 10, while MLP elected 73 registering a decrease of seven councillors.

The Nationalist Party won back Mellieha, St Venera and Mqabba.

In Zejtun, which has a total of nine seats, seven Labour councillors were elected: Joseph Attard, Joan Agius, Stephania Fenech, Claude Camilleri, Ritchie Darmanin, Joseph Hales and Anthony Seychell. Two candidates from the Nationalist Party were elected: Elizabeth Wille Piscopo and Darrell Pace.

In St Paul’s Bay, a majority of seven PN councillors were elected out of 11 seats. These were: Graziella Galea, John Bray, Peter Abela, Frank Gauci, Ray Bartolo, Martin Zerafa and Mario Camilleri.

The Labour Party won a majority of six out of nine seats in Zurrieq: Silvio Izzi Savona, Joseph D’Amato, Charmaine Grech, Raymond Grixti, Claudio Zammit and Kenneth Farrugia. The three PN councillors elected were Dino Bonnici, Mario Ellul and Mario Parascandalo Pace.

Ta’ Xbiex MLP mayor Antoinette Caruana was elected on the first count and not on the second count as was erroneously reported on The Malta Independent on Sunday yesterday..