conventional long form: Republic of Malta
conventional short form: Malta
local long form: Repubblika ta' Malta
local short form: Malta

MT

parliamentary democracy

Valletta

none (administered directly from Valletta)

21 September 1964 (from UK)

Independence Day, 21 September (1964)

1964 constitution substantially amended on 13 December
1974

based on English common law and Roman civil law; has
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: President Guido DE MARCO (since 4 April 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Eddie FENECH ADAMI (since 6
September 1998); Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence GONZE (since 4 May
1999)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime
minister
elections: president elected by the House of Representatives for a
five-year term; election last held NA April 1999 (next to be held by
NA April 2004); following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed
prime minister by the president for a five-year term; the deputy prime
minister is appointed by the president on the advice of the prime
minister
election results: Guido DE MARCO elected president; percent of House
of Representatives vote - NA

unicameral House of Representatives (usually 65
seats; note - additional seats are given to the party with the largest
popular vote to ensure a legislative majority; current total: 65
seats; members are elected by popular vote on the basis of
proportional representation to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 5 September 1998 (next to be held by September
2003)
election results: percent of vote by party - PN 51.8%, MLP 46.9%, AD
1.2%; seats by party - PN 35, MLP 30

Constitutional Court, judges are appointed by the
president on the advice of the prime minister; Court of Appeal, judges
are appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

Alternativa Demokratika/Alliance for
Social Justice or AD ; Malta Labor Party or MLP
; Nationalist Party or PN

C, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, EU
(applicant), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO
(correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

chief of mission: Ambassador George SALIBA
chancery: 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:  (202) 462-3611, 3612
FAX:  (202) 387-5470
consulate(s): New York

chief of mission: Ambassador Kathryn Haycock PROFFITT
embassy: 3rd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana,
mailing address: P. O. Box 535, Valletta
telephone:  235960
FAX:  243229

two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and
red; in the upper hoist-side corner is a representation of the George
Cross, edged in red