Nationalists Claim Victory in Malta

Malta's election commission confirmed the island's long-ruling Nationalist Party has narrowly won a parliamentary election.

The Nationalist Party had claimed victory in Saturday's vote, citing party projections based on an early vote count. But the Labor Party, which hoped for a return to power after a decade, refused to concede, saying it was waiting for more official returns to come in.

Election officials said the vote count, although still not final, confirmed victory for the Nationalist Party by some 1,500 votes. It said the Nationalists have won 49.3 percent of the vote, compared to Labor's 48.8.

The announcement prompted Labor to concede defeat after one of the tightest elections since the former British colony gained independence in 1964.

Until the Nationalists' announcement later Sunday, officials from both parties had refused to claim victory, saying the election was too close to call.

After the announcement, supporters poured into the streets of the tiny Mediterranean island, waving party flags and honking horns.

The election was the first since Malta joined the European Union in 2004 and the euro zone earlier this year.

Gonzi, 54, said throughout the campaign he had done a good job modernizing this island of 400,000 people that lies between Sicily and North Africa and deserved to continue.

Labor leader Alfred Sant, 60, ran an anti-corruption campaign and urged the Maltese to vote for change.

The island nation has been run by the Nationalists since 1987, except for 22 months between 1996 and 1998 when Labor was in power and Sant was the prime minister.

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Associated Press Writer George Cini contributed to this report.