According to opinion polls, the incumbent Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Robert Abela, is on track to make history by winning a fourth consecutive mandate.
VALLETTA, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Malta held a snap parliamentary election on Saturday, with the ruling Labour Party widely expected to secure a fourth consecutive term in office.
More than 340,000 registered voters are eligible to elect members of parliament for the next five years and the result is expected to become clear on Sunday.
According to opinion polls, the incumbent Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Robert Abela, is on track to make history by winning a fourth consecutive mandate.
Abela has pledged to press ahead with reforms and continue steering the country through challenging times, citing his government's handling of the pandemic and recent global uncertainties.
Meanwhile, the opposition leader Alex Borg, 30, who has headed the Nationalist Party for only a few months, is campaigning on promises of renewal and a change in the country's direction.
Maltese media has reported that Abela called the snap election amid concerns over global energy and security issues, following months of speculation that an early vote would be held.
Malta is divided into 13 electoral districts, each electing five or six members of parliament depending on the size of the electorate.
The country's electoral system is based on proportional representation. To form a government, a party must secure a parliamentary majority, with seats allocated according to the number of first-preference votes it receives. ■
