Malta Government - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Official name: Republic of Malta

Type: parliamentary democracy, independent republic within the Commonwealth since December 1974

Capiial: Valletta

Political subdivisions: 2 main populated islands, Malta and Gozo, divided into 13 electoral districts (divisions)

Legal system: based on English common law; constitution adopted 1961, came into force 1964, has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Branches: executive, consisting of Prime Minister and Cabinet; unicameral legislature (65-member House of Representatives); independent judiciary

National holiday: Freedom Day, 31 March

Government leaders: Agatha BARBARA, President (since February 1982); Karmenu MIFSUD BONNICI, Prime Minister (since December 1984)

Suffrage: universal over age 18; registration required

Elections at the discretion of the Prime Minister, but must be held before the expiration of a five-year electoral mandate; last election December 1981

Political parties and leaders: Nationalist Party, Edward Fenech Adami; Malta Labor

Party, Karmenu Mifsud Bonniei

Voting strength: (1981 election) House of

Representatives—Labor, 34 seats (49% of the vote); Nationalist, 31 seats(51% of the vote)

Communists, less than 100(est,)

Member of: Commonwealth, Council of Europe, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ITU, 1WC—International Wheat Council, NAM, UN, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, UPU, WHO, WIPO, W’MO

NOTE: The information regarding Malta on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Malta 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Malta 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.