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Politics and Government, Administrative Divisions |
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Saturday, 25 April 2009 |
 Malta is a republic, whose parliamentary system and public administration is closely modeled on the Westminster system. Malta had the second highest voter turnout in the world (and the highest for nations without mandatory voting), based on election turnout in national lower house elections from 1960 to 1995, The unicameral House of Representatives, is elected by direct universal suffrage through single transferable vote every five years, unless the House is dissolved earlier by the President on advice of the Prime Minister. The House of Representatives is made up of sixty-five Members of Parliament. However, where a party wins an absolute majority of votes, but does not have a majority of seats, that party is given additional seats to ensure a parliamentary majority. The Constitution of Malta provides that the President appoint as Prime Minister the member of the House who is best able to command a majority in the House.
The President of the Republic is elected every five years by the House of Representatives. The role of the president as head of state is largely ceremonial. The main political parties are the Nationalist Party, which is a Christian democratic party, and the Labour Party, with Dr. Joseph Muscat as its leader, which is a social democratic party. The Nationalist Party is currently at the helm of the government, the Prime Minister being Dr. Lawrence Gonzi. The Labour Party is in opposition. There are a number of smaller political parties in Malta that presently have no parliamentary representation.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 16 January 2010 )
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President |
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Wednesday, 29 April 2009 |
 George Abela is the eights president of Malta.
On 12 January 2009, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi announced that the Government was proposing George Abela as the next President of Malta. He was to succeed Eddie Fenech Adami, whose five-year term as President of Malta expired on 4 April 2009.This was the first time in Maltese history that the government nominated a President from the opposition. Abela resigned from MEUSAC and the Labour Party, paving the way for the succession. On 1 April 2009, the House of Representatives approved George Abela as the 8th President of the Republic. The motion was moved by Prime Minister Gonzi and seconded by Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat. On 4 April 2009 at noon, George Abela was sworn in as President of Malta by the Speaker Louis Galea.
Personal details
Abela was born in Qormi Malta to George and Ludgarda née Debono. He attended the local primary school in Qormi, and the Lyceum in Hamrun. In 1965 he enrolled in the University of Malta, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree. He continued his studies and became a notary public, and in 1975 he graduated as a lawyer. He was immediately hired by the General Worker's Union as a legal consultant and worked within the Union for 25 years thereby obtaining considerable experience in employment law. His wife is Margaret Cauchi. They have a boy and a girl, Robert and Maria.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 16 January 2010 )
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Prime Minister |
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Wednesday, 29 April 2009 |
 Lawrence Gonzi became Prime Minister on 23 March 2004, following the resignation of Eddie Fenech Adami. He is also the leader of the Nationalist Party.
Personal details
Lawrence Gonzi (born 1 July 1953) is the incumbent Prime Minister of Malta. Lawrence Gonzi is the son of Luigi Gonzi and Ines Galea and grandnephew of Mgr. Mikiel Gonzi, the former Archbishop of Malta. His younger brother is Michael Gonzi. Gonzi is married to Catherine née Callus, and they have three children: David, Mikela and Paul.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 16 January 2010 )
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