Voting is underway in snap parliamentary elections in Malta, with opinion polls suggesting that the ruling Labour Party is likely to secure another victory and remain in power for a fourth consecutive term.
Polling stations opened across the Mediterranean island nation on Saturday as voters began choosing members of parliament who will govern the country for the next five years. The election is largely seen as a contest between Prime Minister Robert Abela’s Labour Party and the opposition Nationalist Party led by Alex Borg.
Prime Minister Abela called the snap election about a year before the end of the government’s normal term, saying Malta needed political stability amid growing international uncertainty and tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran.
The economy has become the central issue in the campaign. Malta remains one of the European Union’s stronger-performing economies, with low unemployment and relatively controlled inflation. However, voters have also expressed concern over rising rents, overcrowding, pressure on infrastructure, and the increasing cost of living.
Opinion surveys conducted before the election showed the Labour Party maintaining a comfortable lead over the opposition. One recent poll suggested Labour could win more than 53 percent of the vote, compared with around 43 percent for the Nationalist Party.
The election is also taking place under the continuing shadow of the 2017 assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, whose anti-corruption investigations shook Maltese politics and led to widespread criticism of government institutions.
Election results are expected to begin emerging on Sunday after voting and counting are completed.