Candidates and districts - 2

A special correspondent concludes his round-up of general election facts and figures

District 7 (Siggiewi, Zebbug, Attard, Tal-Virtù, Dingli, Mdina)

This district, which is regarded as Malta's fault line when it comes to party allegiances, essentially covers central, south-central and western Malta and incorporates old localities and new residential areas. Its boundaries have been changed considerably since 1998 as has its electorate. Qrendi has been returned to the fifth district and Tal-Virtù and Mdina have been hived off from Rabat and incorporated in this district. This district also incorporates five streets that were with Lija and which were added to Attard after a court petition was accepted a few months ago.

The changes that have taken place in this district over the last ten years have also led to some drastic swings, yet this constituency has nevertheless retained a Nationalist majority.

The PN will be represented by Ministers John Dalli, Ninu Zammit, Tonio Borg and Dr Louis Galea, MPs Michael Bonnici and Dr Jeffrey Pullicino-Orlando, as well as former Parliamentary Secretary Richard Muscat. Attard councillor and media personality David Agius,

Zebbug councillor Philip Mifsud and Siggiewi mayor Robert Musumeci will be contesting for the first time on the PN ticket.

Another Anthony Zammit, a surgeon, will also be contesting this district as a first-time Labour candidate. He will be competing against newcomers Doreen Attard Montalto and Alfred Mifsud, who will be contesting the district, which includes Zebbug, where he hails from, as well as MPs Dr Gavin Gulia, Charles Buhagiar and former MP Bertu Pace.

Michael Briguglio and Ralph Cassar will be contesting this district on behalf of AD.

District 8 (Birkirkara, Balzan, Lija, L-Iklin)

This district now includes a sizable part of L-Iklin. This locality was with the 11th District in 1996 and 1998. It will certainly be a hotly contested affair for both the MLP and the PN. AD, which elected two councillors last month in Birkirkara and Lija, is also hoping for a good performance.

The important factor in this district remains the votes obtained by the two major party leaders, Dr Eddie Fenech Adami and Dr Alfred Sant, both of whom live in Birkirkara. Dr Fenech Adami obtained 10,533 first-count votes in 1998, an all-time record. Dr Sant actually saw a decrease of 952 votes over 1996 in this district, getting 5,904 first count votes in this district.

It is anybody's guess where their surplus votes can go. The PN, as in previous elections, has a strong group of candidates. Ministers Josef Bonnici and Tonio Borg, MP and former Birkirkara mayor Dr Michael Asciak will be joined by Tonio Fenech, current mayor of Birkirkara, Dr Mark Fenech, Dr Martin Fenech, and Balzan mayor Dr John Zammit Montebello. Absent from the PN hustings this time are three prominent female personalities - Dr Joanna Drake, Marselle Delicata and Marion Pace Asciak.

Besides Dr Sant, Labour will be represented by former MP Dr John Buttigieg, former Speaker Notary Myriam Spiteri Debono, and MPs Dr Chris Cardona and Joe Debono Grech. Former MP Paul Carachi will not be contesting this time; neither are Ray Tabone, Adrian Mifsud and Philip Spiteri.

AD will be represented by its chairman Dr Harry Vassallo. Dr Wenzu Mintoff will not be contesting on behalf of AD. He and Dr Toni Abela have returned to the MLP fold, although they are not contesting the general election.

District 9 (Msida, Ta' Xbiex, Gzira, San Gwann, part of l-Iklin)

This district has undergone a minor change with part of Iklin (the Tal-Balal area) being added to this district due to the population changes that have taken place in the 11th District. Absent from the PN list are former Minister Michael Falzon, Marisa Micallef Leyson, John Busuttil, Dr Donald Felice, Etienne Bonello Du Puis and Joe Gafà. In the last election, these candidates polled a total of 3,621 votes.

The new PN faces here are MP Dolores Cristina, Gzira mayor Albert Rizzo, Msida mayor Dr Carmel Grima, Dr Franco Galea and Architect Joe Falzon. They will join Ministers Dr Francis Zammit Dimech, Dr Joe Borg, Parliamentary Secretary George Pullicino, MP Dr John Vella as well as Dr Melvyn Mifsud, who will be contesting this district once more.

Besides MPs Leo Brincat and Dr Adrian Vassallo, a number of Labour councillors who have also contested previous general elections, will contest this district. These are Wally Farrugia and Violet Bajada (San Gwann), Emmanuel Abela (Msida) and Dr Keith Grech (Ta' Xbiex). They will also be joined by Alfred Grixti, Narcy Calamatta and MP Joseph Cuschieri, who will be contesting this district for the first time. Professor Edwin Grech will not be contesting this time. Also absent from this district is Dr Sandro Schembri-Adami, who will however contest Districts 1 and 4.

Jurgen Balzan and Professor Arnold Cassola, secretary-general of the European Federation of Green Parties based in Brussels, whose right to vote - challenged by the MLP - has been upheld by the court, shall be representing AD on this district.

District 10 (Sliema, St Julian's, Swieqi, Pembroke)

Over the past three elections, the PN has elected four seats from this constituency, which has not seen any boundary changes since 1998. However, there are bound to be changes in who gets elected in this district. The PN will be trying hard to hold on to its fourth seat, which it won comfortably last time, however, one has to see whether AD will make inroads thanks to its success in the Sliema council election last month. However, its newly elected councillor, Michael Briguglio, will not be contesting here. AD is represented by its chairman, Dr Harry Vassallo, and this newspaper's environment correspondent Anne Zammit.

One notable absence from this district is Professor Guido de Marco, who polled 2,815 votes from this district. There are also a few other notable names who shall not be contesting this time. These are Minister Dr Austin Gatt, Dr Alec Lapira, John Busuttil, Etienne Bonello Du Puis, Joe Gafà and Dr Donald Felice, who between them polled 1,580 votes in 1998.

The newcomers on this district are Parliamentary Secretary Dr George Hyzler, Sliema mayor Robert Arrigo, and Franco Galea. They will join Ministers Dr Joe Borg, Dr Francis Zammit Dimech, Dr Michael Refalo, Parliamentary Secretary George Pullicino and MPs Dolores Cristina, Dr Michael Frendo and Dr Melvyn Mifsud.

Labour's list is made up of MPs Evarist Bartolo, Leo Brincat and Joseph Cuschieri, local councillor Martin Debono, Adrian Mifsud, Dr Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi and newcomer Robert Micallef.

District 11 (Mosta, Mtarfa, Rabat)

The big demographic changes and new residential development in the north and west of Malta entailed major changes in the respective districts. The only locality that remains in the 11th district is Mosta, which is the third most populous locality after Birkirkara and Qormi. Rabat and Mtarfa have been detached from the 12th district and this change is bound to determine who gets elected from both parties. There is a strong possibility that the PN share of the votes will be lower because of the strong Labour sympathies in Rabat and Mtarfa. Both local councils are now Labour-controlled. The situation in Rabat is all the more intriguing because the anti-PN vote in the local council was evidently a protest vote and one has to see whether it will also translate itself in the general election.

The Prime Minister, Dr Fenech Adami, will now contest this district and it remains to be seen whether he will get the 9,011 votes he obtained in 1998. The other candidates hoping to inherit most of the PN leader's surplus votes are MPs Notary Anthony Abela, Ministers Dr Louis Deguara, Censu Galea, and Professor Josef Bonnici, Parliamentary Secretary Edwin Vassallo, and newcomers Dr Mario Tabone Vassallo, Rabat councillor Nazju Cassar, Ing. Rennie Deguara, Philip Borg and psychiatrist Dr Joseph Cassar.

Labour will fielding its MPs Dr Angelo Farrugia and former ministers Dr Michael Farrugia, Noel Farrugia and architect Charles Buhagiar, as well as Anthony Agius Decelis, accountant Joe Sammut and Joseph Chetcuti. AD's candidates on this district are James Debono and Professor Arnold Cassola. Not presenting themselves this time are former minister Freddie Micallef, Pauline Miceli, Philip Borg, Joe Mifsud, Dr Paul Chetcuti-Caruana, and Dr Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi (who will also be contesting districts 10 and 12). Their combined votes in 1998 was 3,093. Former Rabat mayor Rudolf Grima, as well as Joe Bonello, IVA activist Dr Joanna Drake and Professor Juanito Camilleri are not standing as PN this time.

Also missing from the PN list is MP Claude Muscat, who has called it a day after having been elected in three consecutive general elections. There is no doubt that locality, as well as party loyalties, will play a determining role in who gets elected here.

District 12 (Mgarr, Mellieha, St Paul's Bay, Naxxar, Gharghur)

This district has also been reshaped, with the inclusion of Naxxar and Gharghur from the 11th district together with the other localities that have constituted this district for the past decade. It also features candidates who are contesting either the eighth or 11th district. Again, it will be very difficult to predict who will get elected in this constituency which should nevertheless see a PN majority.

Ministers Dr Louis Deguara and Censu Galea will be contesting this district which includes their home towns. Parliamentary Secretary Edwin Vassallo, Magda Magri Naudi, Dr Michael Axiak, Dr Martin Fenech, Mellieha councillor Dr Nicholas Vassallo, Ing. Rennie Deguara, MP Notary Anthony Abela, pharmacist Mark Mousù, and Dr Michael Gonzi, the deputy prime minister's brother, complete the PN list here.

Labour are represented by its MPs Dr Angelo Farrugia, Noel Farrugia, Dr Michael Farrugia, and Evarist Bartolo, as well as Dr Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Joseph Sammut, Dr Keith Grech and newcomer Lorna Vassallo, a legal procurator and journalist from Mgarr.

Former ministers Dr Daniel Micallef, Charles Buhagiar, and Freddie Micallef, and former MP Maria Camilleri, as well as Dr Chris Cilia, Joe Chetcuti won't be contesting this district. They obtained a total of 2,684 votes in 1998. Missing from the PN list this time are former MP Claude Muscat, Anna Catania, Keith Muscat and Dr Frank Portelli.

Silvan Mifsud, Mark Causon and Carmel Hili are the AD candidates.

District 13 (Gozo and Comino)

Gozo has always been known for its rather unpredictable shifts. The PN has been winning this district for the past 40 years; however, some big swings were registered in different elections. There was a swing to Labour of 6% in 1987 although the party lost the election. Then the PN recouped that loss in 1992 only to lose it again in 1996. In the last general election, the PN registered only a 2% increase in its share despite an overall share of 4% over the whole electorate. Such unpredictability could be due to the fact that apart from party loyalty, the Gozo electorate is also influenced by personal loyalties.

Both the PN and the MLP have presented a very interesting line-up in the sister island. Minister Giovanna Debono, who last time obtained 4,949 votes, got the biggest share of PN votes in any district after Dr Fenech Adami. She will be joined by MPs Frederick Azzopardi and Victor Galea Pace, former Gozo Minister and Speaker Anton Tabone, as well as newcomers Anthony Attard, David Apap and Dr Chris Said. All three newcomers are mayors in Xaghra, Gharb and Nadur respectively, and will replace Aaron Attard Hili, Paul Buttigieg, Tony Cauchi, Alfred Cauchi, Joe Ellis and Noel Formosa, whose votes in 1998 totalled 2,594.

Labour's candidature is also intriguing not least because MP Carmelo Borg will not be contesting this time, having been in Parliament for the past decade. In 1998 he polled 2,656 votes. The newcomers in this district are well-known writer and educator Anton F. Attard, young lawyer Dr Justyne Caruana, accountant and Xaghra councillor Joe Cordina, and Michael Zammit. They shall be contesting together with MP and former Parliamentary Secretary Dr Anton Refalo and Xewkija deputy mayor, architect Teddy Busuttil, as well as Joseph Vella. Maria Stella Buttigieg and Joe Debrincat won't be contesting this time.

AD's candidates for Gozo are Mark Causon and Ian Meli.