District Spotlight: Power Of Incumbency In 11th District Battle Could Turn Tide In PL’s Favour
The Labour Party is pulling out all the stops to turn the tide on the 11th District and potentially land a lethal blow on PN leader Bernard Grech, who is contesting in the district.
With party heavyweights and strong newcomers contesting for the five available seats, some major faces look likely to miss out.
Lovin Malta is examining each district to give you an in-depth guide ahead of the election, arming you with the tools to make a decision that will leave an impact up until 2027.
Next up is the 11th District, which covers Attard, Mdina, Mosta and Burmarrad.
What happened in the previous elections?
The 11th District voted in a three-seat PN majority in 2017 with roughly 2,000 votes separating them from the Labour Party.
And while the district has not voted in a red majority in decades, a major shift could be potentially on the cards particularly after local councils in the district, like Mosta’s, turned red.
Could government projects turn the tide in the PL’s favour?
The Labour Party has put out some strong candidates in the district, particularly Minister Miriam Dalli, who is contesting in her first local election after her successful stint as an MEP.
Dalli is an incredibly popular politician in the country and had received the most first count votes out of any PL candidate in the 2019 MEP elections. She will be hoping for a strong performance in the district, particularly after Robert Abela dampened her chances in the 5th District.
Alex Muscat, a former minority leader in the locality, also has a large following in the district and would be wanting to build on his 2017 result, where he relied on a casual election to become an MP.
Both Cabinet members have been using the power of incumbency to turn the tide in their favour, both announcing large scale green space projects in the area.
Anthony Agius Decelies and Mosta Mayor Romilda Baldacchino Zarb are their closest challengers but might suffer because of the work Dalli and Muscat have done in the community.
The PL will be hoping to steal the third seat, but PN leader Bernard Grech will be hoping to drum up support in his home district and secure a majority for his party, as Simon Busuttil did in 2017.
Deputy Leader David Agius also performs well in the district, but there are concerns whether members of the old guard like Edwin Vassallo and Maria Deguara might dampen efforts.
There are outside candidates who could challenge for the third seat like Rebekah Cilia, Alex Mangion and Alex Perici Calascione. However, Grech’s preference votes will likely be the determining factor.
A casual election is on the cards, particularly if Agius and Grech get elected on two districts.
What are the key issues of the locality?
Development and traffic will play a major role, particularly with controversies around Central Link fresh in memory. The Labour Party has tried to act with the government announcing several green measures for the locality, some during the election campaign.
However, there are still concerns about development in the area, particularly after several major projects were approved despite widespread opposition.
Who will come out on top?
The PN looks likely to keep hold of its majority but do not be surprised in the Labour Party pulls off an impressive upset. Casual elections will also likely play a major role in the final list of MPs, so keep an eye out for any developments in the weeks following the election.
Who do you think will win?
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