MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Gibraltar: historic fourth successive win for CM Caruana

Chief Minister Peter Caruana

This Gibraltar General Election has proved the saying popular with all politicians behind in the polls that the only vote that counts is the one on the day.

After a string of conflicting polls, a record 81% of the electorate turned out to put their mark against their ten favoured candidates on Thursday. The Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) exit poll, which in previous years, has proved accurate, this time indicated a 6% win for the GSLP/LIBS alliance. This caused some consternation with the ruling Gibraltar Social Democrat party members who had anticipated an easy win. However during the evening as the actual votes were tallied another patten emerged, and slowly but surelt the GSD pulled ahead. The counting process normally takes all evening and night, but this time with additional counting rooms and staff, a result was returned at a record 7am. Although the margin was close, Gibraltar again wakes up to Peter Caruana as Chief Minister. Caruana, who has won four successive elections since 1996, has defended the recent Cordoba trilateral agreement (Gibraltr, UK and Spain) as well as a new constitution that modernises relations with London to give Gibraltar greater autonomy in local affairs. This year there were some 50 journalists attending the event, mainly from Spain, plus one UK Member of Parliament Lindsay Hoyle, the chairman of the Gibraltar group in Westminister. Just before the result was announced first Joe Bossano, then Peter Caruana arrived at the John Mackintosh Hall, where the counting took place and the result was announced. Both received a noisy welcome from their respective supporters. After the result, the GSD elected members and their supporters marched down Main Street in triumph. By Jim Watt Gibraltar Gibnews.net