Muscat eyeing Gozo as PN positions Simon Busuttil to take on PL leader
Nationalists considering Gozo district for Simon Busuttil’s dual constituency, to take on Joseph Muscat.
The Nationalist Party is considering presenting Simon Busuttil, the charismatic and popular MEP, to contest in the Gozo constituency as Labour ponders on whether to field their leader Joseph Muscat in this crucial district.
Labour's move is being interpreted as an attempt to win the constituency, which returns three Nationalist MPs every election, which is considered to be a natural Nationalist stronghold.
PL insiders say that with Muscat heading the Gozo candidate list, they may win back Gozo back to PL. The last time it did in fact belong to the PL was in 1955.
Busuttil's choice of the 11th district, which comprises Lija, Attard and Balzan has already soured many fellow PN candidates who now view their chances of getting elected on the first count as remote. But his 'asset value' to the party - which is in dire need of an iconic candidate - far outweighs worries of internal rivalry between PN candidates on the constituency level.
Nonetheless, Gozitans are renowned for changing party allegiance and Muscat is considering his option seriously to take full advantage of the 'Gozitan electoral culture'.
Polls carried by MaltaToday last month and published in GozoToday show the PN losing 11% of its 2008 voters directly to Labour. On the other hand, only 1% of Labour voters intended voting for the PN. This represents a massive 10-point swing in favour of Labour, confirming the national 9-point swing.
In the last few days, political campaigning has been intense. The PL has attempted with success to neutralise the Independence celebrations organised by the PN by hosting carefully choreographed 'congress' sessions. They have also held a mass meeting right after the PN mass meeting, which was very well attended. Yet, yesterday's equally massive turnout at the Ta' Qali PL mass meetings was perhaps an indication of how serious the parties will be taking their campaigning.