The Labour Party has won the 2017 general election, with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat saying the victory is by a 'considerable' margin. 

What we know so far:

• The PL has won an estimated 55 per cent of votes, with the PN-PD coalition at around 43.5 per cent and AD hovering just below one per cent. 

• Joseph Muscat will be sworn in as prime minister tomorrow at 11.30am, the OPM has announced. 

• In a brief televised statement, Simon Busuttil gave no indication that he would be stepping down following the defeat. 

• PL celebrations, to be held at the Granaries in Floriana, have been put off until Saturday. 

• AD's Carmel Cacopardo says the result vindicates the party's decision to reject the PN's coalition/assimilation offer. 

 

THIS LIVE BLOG HAS NOW ENDED

8.08pm Vote counts will soon start trickling in, and we'll be on hand to update candidate numbers as they are reported. I say 'we', but that's just a figure of speech. It's time for me to clock off and call it a day. Even gormless scribes need sustenance. 

We'll be back with another live blog tomorrow morning, as Joseph Muscat takes his oath of office and Malta's next parliament begins to take shape. 

Thank you for tuning in, and good evening. 

8.01pm The Democratic Party has said it "accepts, with humility", the electoral result, said the Forza Nazzjonali will continue, and suggested it has overtaken AD as "Malta's third biggest party."

"The Labour Party has won this election, but this will not render what we believe in null and void; rather, it only strengthens our desire to pursue the best for our country." 

7.57pm Hunters' Federation FKNK has issued a statement congratulating the Labour Party on its victory and said it "looks forward to further cooperation with the elected government for the continuous safeguard and betterment of the socio-cultural traditions of hunting and trapping."

I think that means they're looking forward to shooting down and locking up more winged creatures. 

7.40pm Last December, the PL's Chris Fearne had predicted that Labour would win the general election by 40,000 votes. 

"We got close enough," he tells Kurt Sansone at the counting hall. "Our vision isn't for five or 10 years. It's for an entire generation." Watch the video with his comments in full.

7.30pm What do PN insiders make of Simon Busuttil's brief statement to the press? Kurt Sansone asked PN candidates Alex Perici Calascione, Kristy Debono and David Thake. 

7.18pm Labour Party supporters have been spotted having a ball outside Whitehall Mansions in Ta' Xbiex. The building houses the British High Commission, Irish and Spanish embassies...as well as Pilatus Bank. 

Read the full story here.

7pm Braying with rage: photos of a donkey draped in a PN flag while it is paraded on the back of a pickup truck as part of PL celebrations have animal lovers concerned. 

"Poor donkey in the midst of confusion must be petrified plus at the back of pick up TRUCK!!!" wrote the person who posted this photo to the RUBS Puppy Love Facebook group. 

6.35pm Busuttil stays, at least for now. The PN leader gave no indication he would be moving on to pastures new. 

6.30pm Simon Busuttil: We accept the people's verdict. We lit a beacon of hope, and it would be a mistake to put it out now. The PN will now analyse this result internally and work out what the best thing to do for the party, as well as for the country. 

Dr Busuttil thanks candidates, party officials, volunteers and everyone else involved in the party's electoral effort. That's it. 

6.22pm OPM head of communications Kurt Farrugia seems sure the PL's majority will end up topping the 2013 election's 37,000 record.

 

6.15pm Simon Busuttil is due to make a statement on NET TV any moment now.

5.50pm Parties on wheels all the way from Ħamrun to Floriana. Times of Malta's Ivan Martin popped down the road to soak up some of the atmosphere. Judging by the sights and sounds, we'll probably need to breathalyse him when he gets back to the office. 

5.22pm We dispatched Philip Leone Ganado to Labour HQ earlier to report on Dr Muscat's victory speech to the jubilant crowd. He ended up locked in the HQ's foyer, with a burly security guard refusing to let him out. I suppose that's one way of driving traffic to the party's Facebook live feeds. 

5.03pm Yes, no, maybe? It seems Simon Busuttil will be making a statement on NET TV at 6.30pm. Sources first said he would be speaking, only for a party spokesman to later say there would be no appearance today. Now they seem to have reversed that decision.

4.53pm Trucks, cars, vans, bikes, pick-ups - if it moves, chances are you can spot it among the PL vehicles wheeled out for the carcading going on across the country, as this video by Times of Malta's Matthew Mirabelli illustrates. 

Need more bling? Hard to look past this 'Joseph il-King' mobile or the Panama beer used to toast the PN's metaphorical demise. Photos by Vanessa Macdonald.

4.49pm The election result is an indicator that aggressive, divisive politics are no recipe for success, says the PL's Carmelo Abela. Here are his comments. 

4.45pm Chris Fearne seems to have decisively overtaken Konrad Mizzi in the race to become the district 4 top dog. 

4.38pm Alternattiva Demokratika's Carmel Cacopardo says the result proves the party was right to turn down the PN's coalition offer. Here he is speaking from the counting hall: 

4.34pm The PN's Kristy Debono appears to be doing well on the 9th district, but she admits "something went wrong" with the party's strategy. Here she is speaking to Kurt Sansone: 

4.23pm Earlier this morning we reported that PL workers were setting up a stage at the Granaries in Floriana. But with celebrations now put off until Saturday, they're now dismantling the whole shebang. 

"Oh well, we'll be back on Saturday," one of the workers told Times of Malta's Vanessa Macdonald. 

4.10pm Six hours in, what do we know? 

• Labour has won a resounding victory, with estimates putting them at anything between 34,000 and 40,000 votes ahead of the PN-PD coaltion.

• Joseph Muscat will be sworn in as Prime Minister tomorrow at 11am, but PL celebrations have been put off until next Saturday.

• Simon Busuttil has gone AWOL, not even making an appearance on PN media. The party says he will not be making any statements today. 

• Familiar names from both major parties seem to be leading the vote counts, with no major notable outliers. 

3.42pm Familiar-sounding surnames are dominating PL voting counts so far. Fearne, Scicluna, Herrera, Muscat, Zammit Lewis, Cardona. Do the names ring a bell? 

3.33pm Still not a peep from Busuttil, aside from that earlier tweet conceding defeat. It must be a difficult few hours for the PN leader, but he really needs to make an appearance at some stage today. 

3.23pm The post-mortems are already underway on social media.  We've rounded up a sample of some of the online reactions.

3.17pm Muscat told supporters that he will be sworn in as Prime Minister tomorrow at 11am. PL celebrations have been put off until next Saturday at the Granaries in Floriana.

We've got a full report about Muscat's speech at Labour HQ here.  

3.11pm: So where are we at in terms of vote counts? 

• The PL looks set to retain all four seats on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th districts. It might be down to three seats on 5th district.
   
• Labour seems to be leading by a couple of hundred votes in Gozo and could keep all three seats there. 
  
  
• So far, vote totals have Labour on 55 per cent with a majority of at least 34,000.  

3.06pm Lots of horns and celebrations by St Julian's Spinola Bay. And this just in - a skipload of supporters take a trip down Sliema promenade. 

3.03pm Muscat has just appeared on a balcony at PL headquarters. He's waving to the thousands outside. Chants of 'Joseph, Joseph', as can be expected. Follow the event using the live video below.

 

2.47pm  It's looking like there won't be too many new faces in parliament, if initial eyeball estimates are anything to go by. We've just published a report with a roundup of which candidates are leading vote counts in each district. Read it here. 

2.45pm PL candidates Chris Fearne, Konrad Mizzi, Silvio Schembri and Robert Abela have amassed significant numbers of votes so far. ONE is reporting that counting agents had to fetch extra pigeon holes to fit Joseph Muscat's votes. 

2.40pm Konrad Mizzi's communications director Alex Cutajar hints Labour is on track to win by more than 40,000 votes. 

 

2.27pm ONE's latest figures are even more favourable to Labour:  55.1% red, 43.5 per cent blue. 

2.22pm TVM's latest figures have the PL on 54.8 per cent, PN/PD at 43.8 per cent and AD with 1 per cent of first-count votes.

2.18pm By way of comparison: back in 2013, Lawrence Gonzi held a press conference announcing he was stepping aside at around 1.30pm and then showed up at the counting hall a couple of hours later. 

2.10pm 15 minutes ago we reported that Simon Busuttil would be speaking to the press this afternoon. Turns out that's not happening. The PN has now said it has no plans for any events today. Surely the PN leader will make an appearance at some point?  

1.52pm Keith Schembri has no intention of skulking into the shadows, it would appear. "Looking forward to the #nextfive. Let's keep it going," he tweets. 

1.43pm We've been informed that PN leader Simon Busuttil will address the press this afternoon. Sources said he would use the occasion to "speak about his political future." If this rumoured electoral drubbing is confirmed, he might find it hard to continue as party leader. Read the full report here.

1.37pm More congratulatory tweets for Muscat, this time from Dutch ambassador and Commonwealth's deputy secretary general. 

1.32pm  Our man at Mile End tells us William Lewis and Jason Micallef are "dancing like maniacs" on a stage outside Labour's headquarters. 

1.21pm Marlene Farrugia says the Democratic Party's work is only just beginning, and she does so in a shaky close-up selfie video posted to Facebook. A phone tripod costs less than €10 online. Just saying.

 

1.16pm Here are Dr Muscat's comments to Kurt Sansone a few minutes ago. 

1.07pm The first count process is still underway. Judging by the number of votes in their pigeon holes, the PL's Konrad Mizzi is doing well, while PN candidate Robert Arrigo is putting on a strong performance in the 10th district. 

1.03pm And after Tusk, it's Jean-Claude Juncker's turn. The EU Commission president calls Muscat's victory "a remarkable tribute to your leadership."  The two men are avowedly chummy, Juncker's one-upmanship permitting.

 

12.57pm With the victor determined, the focus will now shift to determining the final margin of victory, as well as - of course - who has been elected as an MP in Malta's next legislature.  

In case you missed the earlier link, you can read an explainer of Malta's electoral process here. 

12.48pm Reports of gridlock at various spots across Malta. Traffic is reportedly at a standstill in parts of Naxxar and Birkirkara. 

12.45pm News agencies from across the globe are picking up news of Labour's electoral victory, and EU Council president Donald Tusk has just tweeted his congratulations to Dr Muscat.

   

12.42pm Dr Muscat says he has given clear instructions to police to adopt a zero tolerance approach to law-breaking by people celebrating the electoral victory. Do police really need to be told this? It should go without saying. 

12.36pm: The PL's official victory celebrations will kick off at 2.30pm outside its Mile End HQ, with Dr Muscat addressing the crowd. 

12.34pm Muscat: "The people have spoken, and they have picked positivity. I did not expect this sort of result," the reelected PM tells reporters.  

Here's video of Dr Muscat entering the counting hall.

12.27pm An incredible crush at the Naxxar counting hall as Dr Muscat makes his way through a mass of bodies. The complete lack of crowd control is a disaster waiting to happen.

12.24pm Two photos, two very different stories. PN and PL headquarters are within a stone's throw of each other, but the atmosphere outside them could not be more different. 

12.21pm Süddeutsche Zeitung's Frederik Obermaier is watching the unfolding electoral results with interest. "I wonder what this will mean for passport sales, money laundering and corruption investigations," he tweets.

12.18pm Dr Muscat is expected at the counting hall any minute. Police have been stationed outside the PN's Dar Centrali to guard against any mischief. 

12.15pm Commentators on ONE are talking up the odds of the PL having won by an even larger margin than its 2013 record of 37,000 votes. 

12.05pm Various polls had suggested a much narrower gap between the two parties. Here's one The Sunday Times of Malta ran last week. How do you interpret the result? Send your messages to mynews@timesofmalta.com. 

11.58am Labour MEP Miriam Dalli says unofficial results have the PL on 54.9 per cent and the PN at 43.8 per cent. If those figures are correct, Labour has essentially repeated its 2013 landslide. In 2013, the PL got 54.8 per cent of first-count votes, with the PN on 43.3.

11.56am PN deputy leaders Mario de Marco and Beppe Fenech Adami have just given comments to the press at the counting hall. 

Dr Fenech Adami has conceded defeat and thanked everyone involved in the electoral campaign. "Now we will need to analyse this and chart a way forward." 

Dr de Marco: "This does not mean that good governance issues are no longer important. I hope the messages being sent reach everyone." He appealed on PN supporters to stay calm and respect their political adversaries.

11.41am Muscat and Busuttil were at each other's throats last week. But the pettiness seems to have suddenly melted away.

      

11.38am What would a landslide Labour victory mean for Joseph Muscat? Have a read of this analysis.

11.34am Incredulity among PN delegates. There are suggestions (from both camps) that the margin of victory tops 30,000 votes. 

11.31am Simon Busuttil has conceded defeat. "As always, we respect the decision of the electorate," he tweets.

11.30am In comments to ONE, Joseph Muscat urges supporters to celebrate responsibly and says police will not put up with any law-breaking. 

11.26am Konrad Mizzi carried shoulder-high by PL supporters in the Naxxar counting hall. Tears for Glenn Bedingfield. 

11.25am Tumbleweed by Dar Centrali, as this photo by Jacob Borg illustrates. 

11.23am Joseph Muscat has given initial comments to TVM, and he's said the PL victory is "considerable". 

“It’s clear that the people have chosen not to stop half-way through. I’m grateful towards the public who chose positive over negative. We need to unite after a decisive campaign and that will be my aim in the coming weeks," he said. 

11.18am Fireworks set off outside the counting hall, jubilation among PL followers. 

In true Malta style, lots of perspex bashing and chest thumping.

 

11.16am THEY'VE CALLED IT. THE LABOUR PARTY HAS WON THE 2017 GENERAL ELECTION. 

Shouts, cheers and chants at the Naxxar counting hall. 

11.15am A cloud of pessimism descends on Dar Centrali. PN supporters gathered outside are leaving in droves, I'm told. 

11.12am The government's head of communications Kurt Farrugia is being mobbed by journalists at the counting hall, but he's playing it cool. "We're still early in the process, if there's anything to announce the Prime Minister will do so," he tells them. 

11.10am Want some more detail about the initial indications? Have a read of our first of many reports.

11.07am Michael Briguglio has gone ahead and called it for Labour.

11.03am It's looking like a Labour win. Margin has yet to be determined. 

11.01am Jacob Borg is outside PN headquarters. He tells me the atmosphere is pretty sombre, with party supporters anxiously keeping an eye on Naxxar goings-on.

11am  Some photos of those Valletta barricades I mentioned earlier, courtesy of Jonathan Borg. 

10.54am There's a distinct feeling of optimism within the PL camp, our reporters at the counting hall have indicated.

10.51am More barricades being erected in Merchant's Street, Valletta - and it's men in Labour Party shirts doing the work, I'm told.

10.45am Michael Briguglio tweets from the counting hall.

10.37am  More indications of PL confidence. One reader tells us their local Labour band club is blaring party music, while another source tells us people are flocking to the party's Mile End headquarters. It's still early days though, so keep your powder dry.  

10.28am In other news: a Maltese Juventus fan was among those caught up in a stampede in Turin. Luckily he escaped with just cuts and bruises. Ivan Martin has the story.

10.20am Having spent the past month doing their utmost to get people hot under the collar, commentators on both political party TV stations are now calling for cool heads and 'bridging the political divide'. Go figure. 

10.17am AND WE'RE OFF! Sorting is underway. 

10.11am Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando seems confident of a Labour win. That's enough alcohol to knock out his dental patients. 

10.08am We're minutes away from the moment agents begin turning votes face up. They will then party agents crammed behind the perspex a peek at the number 1 vote and placing each vote in the pigeon hole of the respective candidate. 

Party agents take note of the vote and add it to their sample. A sample of between 50 and 100 votes per box is all they usually need to get a sense of which way the election is heading - hours before the Electoral Commission makes any official statement. 

9.57am Noticed something worth sharing? You can send us photos or video by emailing mynews@timesofmalta.com, or else you can message me directly on Twitter @bertu123. 

9.53am Overnight, both the PL and PN have covered up their billboards and taken down the (innumerable) banners that littered public space over the past month - something we announced yesterday. Amazing how quickly they can get things done when they put their minds to things. 

9.47am 92 per cent of the electorate voted yesterday - the lowest voter turnout since 1966. 

Don't go losing any sleep over democratic participation yet, though. By way of comparison, less than 70 per cent of French voters cast their vote in the Le Pen-Macron battle, while in the US election turnout was just 55.5 per cent. 

9.45am All boxes have now been opened, our counting hall eyes and ears have informed me. The stage is set for a 10am start.

Kiosks have also been spotted at The Strand in Sliema setting up shop, we're told. 

9.40am It might be hard to avert your gaze from Naxxar, but there's been terrible news from Europe overnight. In London, six were killed and 48 injured in what appears to have been a coordinated terrorist attack. In Turin, hundreds were injured in a panic-induced stampede.

9.35am Meanwhile, in Floriana: Labour officials spotted milling around the Granaries as workers erect a stage. 

9.30am The sorting process is due to begin in 30 minutes, and people are already jostling for position at the Naxxar counting hall. Agents are currently opening boxes and things are running according to schedule. 

Is Malta's electoral process a bit Greek to you? Have a read of Kurt Sansone's guide to the electoral system.

9.25am Good morning, and welcome to our live blog of today's events. Tensions are high and we're in for a long day, so settle back with your cold drink of choice and let us do the heavy lifting. We've got journalists across the island who will be updating you with information as it comes in.