Senate of Malta

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The Senate (Maltese : Senat) was the upper house of the Parliament of Malta between 1921 and 1933. [1]

Maltese language Semitic language spoken mostly in Malta

Maltese is the national language of Malta and a co-official language of the country alongside English, while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic, the extinct variety of Arabic that developed in Sicily and was later introduced to Malta, between the end of the ninth century and the end of the twelfth century.

Parliament of Malta Constitutional legislative body in Malta

The Parliament of Malta is the constitutional legislative body in Malta, located in Valletta. The parliament is unicameral, with a democratically elected House of Representatives and the President of Malta. By Constitutional law, all government ministers, including the Prime Minister, must be members of the House of Representatives.

Contents

History

The Amery-Milner constitution was promulgated in 1921 and provided for a bicameral Parliament with a 32-seat Legislative Assembly and a 17-seat Senate. [2] The Assembly would be elected every three years and the Senate every six years. [1]

A bicameral legislature has legislators in two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single group, and from some legislatures that have three or more separate assemblies, chambers, or houses. As of 2015, fewer than half the world's national legislatures are bicameral.

The Senate consisted of seven elected members and ten appointed members. The elected members were elected in two districts using a two-round system. [3] The appointed members represented five groups; the clergy, the nobility, graduates, commerce and the Trade Union Council, with each group having two members each. [1] During its existence, elections for the Senate took place in 1921, 1927 and 1932. [1]

Two-round system voting system used to elect a single winner where a second round of voting is used if no candidate wins an absolute majority in the first round

The two-round system is a voting method used to elect a single winner, where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate. However, if no candidate receives the required number of votes, then those candidates having less than a certain proportion of the votes, or all but the two candidates receiving the most votes, are eliminated, and a second round of voting is held.

1921 Maltese general election

General elections were held in Malta on 18 and 19 October 1921. The Maltese Political Union emerged as the largest party, winning 14 of the 32 seats in the Legislative Assembly and four of the seven elected seats in the Senate. Joseph Howard became Prime Minister.

1927 Maltese general election

General elections were held in Malta between 7 and 9 August 1927. Although the Nationalist Party received the most votes, the Constitutional Party emerged as the largest party, winning 15 of the 32 seats in the Legislative Assembly. The Nationalist Party remained the largest party in the Senate with four of the seven elected seats.

The constitution was suspended in 1933, [1] with subsequent constitutions creating unicameral legislatures.

Presidents

NameTerm
Max Debono 28 October 1921–August 1927
Igino De Piro D'Amico 23 August 1927–October 1932
Luigi Preziosi 17 October 1932–1933
Source: Pirotta [4]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 The Senate since 1921 Vassallo Malta
  2. Albert P. Blaustein & Gisbert H. Flanz (1978) Constitutions of the Countries of the World: Malta Oceana Publications, p1
  3. Schiavone, Michael J (1987), L-Elezzjonijiet F'Malta 1849–1981, Pubblikazzjoni Bugelli, pp183–184
  4. Godfrey R. Pirotta (2006) Malta's Parliament: An Official History, pp62, 86, 97 ISBN   9789993204435