Oath of office

Malta's prime minister sworn in after close election victory, from Thomson Financial:

Malta's conservative pro-EU leader Lawrence Gonzi took the oath of office today after his incumbent Nationalist Party won the closest elections ever in the tiny Mediterranean island state. Gonzi, 54, who will lead the fifth Nationalist government in the last 21 years, was sworn in by President Edward Fenech Adami, the man he succeeded as prime minister in 2004 when Adami retired.

Adami praised Malta's electorate for 'making a decision in full freedom, confirming how well a democratic system works when you have a mature people,' after the Nationalists won the Saturday polls by just 1,500 votes, or 0.5 percent of the ballot. The result gave the Nationalists a one-seat majority over their traditional rivals the Labour Party in the 69-seat House of Representatives.

Nearly 300,000 people voted in the cliffhanger polls, which enjoyed a turnout of some 93 percent, a score which was actually on the low side in the politically polarised nation. Gonzi, is to name his cabinet tomorrow, expected to be streamlined from the outgoing team of 13 ministers and six junior ministers. He will take on the environment portfolio himself.