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Jason Azzopardi Comeback On The Cards As Former MP Pledges To Contest Two Casual Elections

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Jason Azzopardi has confirmed he intends to contest a casual election on the 9th district out of respect for the people who voted for him last weekend.

“I really appreciate and treasure the respect and trust that the people of the ninth district showed in me, even though I was only a candidate for a few weeks,” Azzopardi said.

“I will see that their wishes are fulfilled by contesting the casual elections on this district. I know full well that I don’t have much of a chance of getting elected this way but I will put my name forward out of respect for these people, even though I’m very realistic and know I barely have a chance.”

As per recent changes in the PN’s statute, candidates who are elected on two districts must give up the district in which they received the fewest number of votes.

In the PN’s case, Joe Giglio and Robert Arrigo must both give up the 9th district as they received more votes on the 10th. 

Casual elections are notoriously hard to predict as it all depends on the secondary preferences of the people who now cannot be represented by their favourite candidate, in this case Giglio and Arrigo. 

However, with 546 first-count votes to his name, Azzopardi is now the second most popular candidate on the 9th who hasn’t already been elected elsewhere, behind Swieqi mayor Noel Muscat, who received 581 votes.

Muscat and Azzopardi also received the same share of preference votes from Giglio’s excess votes, which were dished out to other candidates once he reached the quota.

Sammut was also elected on the 10th district but will have to give this one up due to the PN’s rules, paving the way for the likes of former MP Karol Aquilina, St Julian’s mayor Albert Buttigieg, Sliema mayor Graziella Attard Previ and new candidate Emma Portelli Bonnici. 

Do you agree with Jason Azzopardi’s decision? 

READ NEXT: Watch: Adrian Delia Says PN Shouldn’t Take ‘Rash’ Decision On Leadership And Calls For ‘Genuine Soul-Searching’

Tim is interested in the rapid evolution of human society and is passionate about justice, human rights and cutting-edge political debates. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X at @timdiacono or reach out to him at [email protected]

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