Malta Government

Malta is a republic. Until December 1974, it was a constitutional monarchy with the queen as the head of state. However, the current government of Malta is the executive branch which consists of the cabinet and the parliamentary secretaries. The executive power is vested in the president who appoints the prime minister and the rest of the cabinet. The parliamentary system and the public administration of Malta closely resemble that of the Westminster System.

Malta uses a single transferable vote to elect various levels of leaders. Citizens who have attained the age of 18 are free to register and participate in the election. Only those whose names are included in the electoral register prior to the general election are considered eligible voter. 65 members are elected from 13 five-seat constituencies for a period of five years. By law, the president can only serve for one term of five years after which the office is declared temporarily vacant until another president is appointed.

The home of the parliament of Malta is the Parliament House which is located in Valletta. It was constructed between 2011 and 2015 from a design by Renzo Piano. The building was officially opened on May 4, 2015. The official office of the president of Malta is known as Grandmaster’s palace located in Malta. The Palace was built between 16th and 18th centuries. It is located in the center of Valletta. Other presidential residences include San Anton Palace in Attard and Verdala Palace at Buskett where the president retreats during summer. The official residence of the prime minister is known as Villa Francia while Girgenti Palace is the official summer residence.

The major political parties of Malta include the Labour Party (Partit Laburista), the Nationalist Party (Partit Nazzjonalista), and the Democratic Party (Partit Demokratiku).