The Nationalist Party has declared itself the victor of the general election, by the slimmest of margins.

The triumph was declared by PN general secretary Joe Saliba to a crowd of cheering PN counting agents at the Naxxar counting hall .

"All indications show that the Nationalist Party has won the election, by 1,200 votes" Mr Saliba said.

He did not say whether the party had won an absolute majority of the votes.

Mr Saliba was carried shoulder-high by the counting agents as he made v-signs.

Meanwhile, MLP deputy leader Michael Falzon refused to concede the general election to the Nationalist Party.

He told reporters that the predictions were there, but before taking a position, the MLP would await the first count of all the Labour Party candidates and that, by elimination, the first count of the Nationalists.