Online poll gives narrow lead to Nationalist Party

If an election were to be held tomorrow, 33.76 per cent of respondents to an online poll would vote for the Nationalist Party, 30.55 per cent would choose Labour, 22.46 per cent Alternattiva Demokratika and 13.23 per cent would not vote.

A total of 4,043 people took part in The Times poll, the highest participation rate so far. The question was online for six days starting last Thursday.

MLP secretary general Jason Micallef said when asked for his reaction he would prefer to wait for the results of the local council elections. "We are looking for satisfactory results on March 12. Then we will set our targets," he said.

AD chairman Harry Vassallo said: "The results are very encouraging. We are communicating our political message and it is being well received".

PN secretary general Joe Saliba expressed scepticism about the results: "Online surveys are not real surveys as in surveys one replies once while online one can vote more than once. Secondly, it is not representative of society as not everyone uses the internet. Thirdly, those who reply are not chosen scientifically but people simply opt to reply".

Still, Mr Saliba noted that from the survey the PN appears to be the most popular party, with almost 34 per cent. "It is not the norm in this period of the legislature for the party in government to be leading in the polls. It is only when we start reaping the fruits of what we are doing now that we will start to lead," he said.

If one took the results as factual, then, according to this survey, it would be AD that decides which party would be in government as it has to be a coalition government.

"If one extrapolated these results, the PN would have about 38 per cent of the vote, the MLP 35 per cent and AD about 26 per cent. So for a party to have 51 per cent, a coalition would need to be formed," Mr Saliba said.

Among the comments posted in the survey, some said that when considering the MLP's proposals for revamping the economy, they would prefer the measures being taken by the PN.

"Essentially it is a choice of having the lesser of two evils," and "better the devil you know" was a comment posted by several.

Among the pro-government comments, several respondents said the government was making bold decisions that were necessary to improve the country and the government had courage and foresight to be doing them.

A person who said he has voted PN since 1987 said he would give Labour a chance because the Nationalists disappointed him.

Most of the pro-Labour comments simply read "Malta Labour Party".

Most of the anti-Labour comments were directed against Alfred Sant. Some said he could not be trusted because he would do anything to get elected. Others branded him the MLP's losing ticket.

Comments in favour of AD included that "it speaks from the heart" and should be given a voice in Parliament.

One respondent said that when election time comes around people would change their mind and many would not risk voting for AD.

Others commented that Imperium Europa should have been included as an alternative party "because the rest betrayed us". One said any party with an anti-immigration voice would get his vote. If there were none, he would not vote. Others said they would vote for a right-wing party.

Not everyone seems to have taken the poll seriously though. One person commented that those in favour of AD must have kept their mouse busy by voting repeatedly in the poll.

Another commented that if the results of the poll were reflected in local council elections, he would donate all his possessions to The Times!

The online poll is not a scientific survey.