Every COVID-19 restriction should be removed pledges Robert Abela

Mar 28 2022

In his inaugural address to the nation since being sworn in as Prime Minister, Robert Abela pledged the removal of every remaining COVID-19 restriction.

He highlighted the two difficult years which the pandemic put us through, saying that we must leave it behind us. ‘While I will keep on seeking expert advise, the government will continue down the road of removing all restrictions.’

He said that we must reach a stage where Malta can adopt a style of people choosing how to best take care of themselves as much as possible. He said that children and youth lost years from the best of their lives.

‘We must now look ahead to continue regaining our freedoms. This must be the spring in which we move in this direction.’ Apart from this, Abela expressed how pleased he was to see the democratic process unfolding throughout the election.

Referencing the 85% turnout rate, the lowest in recent Maltese history, Abela reached out to those who did not vote. He asked for the chance to serve the people and regain the trust so people can comfortably vote.

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Carmel Cacopardo steps down from ADPD leadership

Mar 28 2022

ADPD chairperson Carmel Cacopardo has stepped down from his position to make way for a new regeneration of the party.

Cacopardo announced in a blog post that he will be stepping aside in the interest of the party, kicking off the search for a new leader.

He opened up about how he is 66-years-old and he doesn’t think that it is in the party’s interest to stay on as leader for longer. ‘I’ve long informed my colleagues that they need to find someone else to lead the party in the future.’

Despite not leaving immediately, he said he will help the party make a smooth transition. ‘I sill have a lot of energy’ he said. The ADPD secured 1.61% of the voting share in the election – the highest standing in years. No candidates were elected.

The party’s best performance came in the 12th district, winning 2.4% of the district share.

Who do you think will be the next ADPD leader?

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Adrian Delia and Joe Giglio not contesting for Nationalist Party leadership

Mar 28 2022

Adrian Delia and Joe Giglio will not be contesting the upcoming Nationalist Party leadership race, Times of Malta have revealed.

As per PN statute, party leadership is contested after the loss of a general election and while the above have stated that they will not contest party leadership, Bernard Grech vowed to remain within the party and offer his services, with all signs pointing to intentions of contesting.

A video message posted by Bernard Grech on Sunday show the PN leader conceding to Labour and pledging to keep offering his service. He stated that the PN will continue to provide a voice to those who voted for the party and those who didn’t and that, in the coming weeks, he will approach the relevant party structures to pursue another mandate as leader.

Meanwhile, Adrian Delia got elected in his districts, seventh and eighth, with 4,632 first count votes while Joe Giglio was elected in the 9th and 10th districts with 9,164 first count votes.

Who do you think should contest for Nationalist Party leadership?

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Abela gets more votes than Grech, but short of Joseph Muscat’s numbers

Mar 28 2022

Prime Minister Robert Abela has managed to keep a safe gap between him and Opposition leader Bernard Grech following their competition over the 5th district. According to official results by the Electoral Commission, Abela received 9,996 first count votes compared to Grech’s 5,799.

However, Abela did not manage to reach Joseph Muscat’s 2017 results after the predecessor managed to rack up a whopping 12,866 first count votes on the same district. Despite this, Abela’s performance is still impressive considering the competitive field of candidates on the district, with Miriam Dalli, Owen Bonnici and Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi all getting over 1,000 first count votes.

Abela also performed well on the 2nd district with 11,694 first count votes. This was also less than Muscat, who received 14,674 first count votes in 2017. Grech got 9,450 first count votes on the 11th District, which less than the 11,266 first count votes Simon Busuttil receive on the first district in the last general election.

The Labour Party won the general election by around 39,000 votes, with Grech contesting for the PN leadership.

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