1973 Gozo Civic Council referendum

Last updated
1973 Gozo Civic Council referendum
Flag of Malta.svg
11 November 1973

Do you want Gozo to remain different from Malta, that is, not only having its own representatives in Parliament, chosen from Gozo, but also representatives in the Gozo Civic Council which, amongst other powers, has that of imposing special taxes on the Gozitans to be spent according to the wishes of the people of Gozo?
Results
Choice
Votes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svgYes13776.97%
Light brown x.svgNo4123.03%
Valid votes17891.28%
Invalid or blank votes178.72%
Total votes195100.00%
Registered voters/turnout15,6211.25%

The Gozo Civil Council (Abolition) Referendum was held in Malta on 11 November 1973. The referendum was facultative and non-binding and only voters registered in Gozo were allowed to vote, and is to date the only non-national referendum to have been held in the country.

Contents

Background

Gozo Civic Council had been set up as a statutory local government in the island of Gozo on 14 April 1961, [1] the first experiment in civil local government in Malta since the French occupation of 1798–1800. The law authorised the council to raise taxes, although it never actually made use of this power.

In 1971 the Labour Party was voted into office. As its support in Gozo was weak and it favoured a more centralised administration it proposed a referendum on the abolishment of the Council putting emphasis on the unpopular possibility of it raising taxes.

Question

Do you want Gozo to remain different from Malta, that is, not only having its own representatives in Parliament, chosen from Gozo, but also representatives in the Gozo Civic Council which, amongst other powers, has that of imposing special taxes on the Gozitans to be spent according to the wishes of the people of Gozo? [2]

Results

ChoiceVotes%
For13776.97
Against4123.03
Invalid/blank votes17
Total195100
Registered voters/turnout15,6211.25
Source: Elections in Malta

Outcome

Despite the exceptionally low turnout of just 1.25%, the Government proceeded with its plans to abolish the Gozo Civic Council. Government administration in Gozo was centralised in Valletta and Gozitan affairs became the direct responsibility of the Office of the Prime Minister.

In the mid-1980s attempts were made to set up a Gozo committee, chaired by the prime minister and with the Gozitan members of Parliament as members. However, it was only in 1987 that the Ministry of Gozo was set up (demoted to a Parliamentary Secretariat between 1996 and 1998). Local government in the Gozitan localities was restored with the introduction of local councils in 1993 with Gozo having 14 councils.

A Gozo Regional Committee was created by Act No. XVI of 2009 and was formally constituted in 2012. [3]

Related Research Articles

Politics in Estonia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Estonia is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Legislative power is vested in the Estonian parliament. Executive power is exercised by the government, which is led by the prime minister. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Estonia is a member of the United Nations, the European Union, and NATO.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Malta</span> Political system of Malta

The politics of Malta takes place within a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Malta is the constitutional head of state. Executive Authority is vested in the President of Malta with the general direction and control of the Government of Malta remaining with the Prime Minister of Malta who is the head of government and the cabinet. Legislative power is vested in the Parliament of Malta which consists of the President of Malta and the unicameral House of Representatives of Malta with the Speaker presiding officer of the legislative body. Judicial power remains with the Chief Justice and the Judiciary of Malta. Since Independence, the party electoral system has been dominated by the Christian democratic Nationalist Party and the social democratic Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Norfolk Island</span> Political system of Norfolk Island

Politics of Norfolk Island takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic entity. Norfolk Island is the only non-mainland Australian territory to have achieved self-governance. The Norfolk Island Act 1979, passed by the Parliament of Australia in 1979, is the Act under which the island is governed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Russia</span> Political system of Russia

The politics of Russia take place in the framework of the federal semi-presidential republic of Russia. According to the Constitution of Russia, the President of Russia is head of state, and of a multi-party system with executive power exercised by the government, headed by the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the President with the parliament's approval. Legislative power is vested in the two houses of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, while the President and the government issue numerous legally binding by-laws. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991, Russia has seen serious challenges in its efforts to forge a political system to follow nearly seventy-five years of Soviet governance. For instance, leading figures in the legislative and executive branches have put forth opposing views of Russia's political direction and the governmental instruments that should be used to follow it. That conflict reached a climax in September and October 1993, when President Boris Yeltsin used military force to dissolve the parliament and called for new legislative elections. This event marked the end of Russia's first constitutional period, which was defined by the much-amended constitution adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in 1978. A new constitution, creating a strong presidency, was approved by referendum in December 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nationalist Party (Malta)</span> Political party in Malta

The Nationalist Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Malta, along with the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Referendums in the United Kingdom</span>

Referendums in the United Kingdom are occasionally held at a national, regional or local level. Historically, national referendums are rare due to the long-standing principle of parliamentary sovereignty. There is no constitutional requirement to hold a national referendum for any purpose or on any issue however the UK Parliament is free to legislate through an Act of Parliament for a referendum to be held on any question at any time, but unless it is strictly legislated for these cannot be constitutionally binding on either the Government or Parliament, although they usually have a persuasive political effect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1997 Scottish devolution referendum</span> 1997 referendum on the creation of a devolved Scottish Parliament; successful

The Scottish devolution referendum of 1997 was a pre-legislative referendum held in Scotland on 11 September 1997 over whether there was support for the creation of a Scottish Parliament with devolved powers, and whether the Parliament should have tax-varying powers. The result was "Yes–Yes": a majority voted in favour of both proposals, and the Parliament was established following an election in 1999. Turnout for the referendum was 60.4%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Referendums in Italy</span>

A referendum, in the Italian legal system is a request directed to the whole electorate to express their view on a determined question. It is the main instrument of direct democracy in Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in Malta</span>

Malta elects on a national level 6 MEPs representing Malta in the European Parliament, on a district level the legislature, On a local level the Local Councils and on a community level the Administrative Committees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Representatives (Thailand)</span> Lower house in the National Assembly of Thailand

The House of Representatives is the lower house of the National Assembly of Thailand, the legislative branch of the Thai government. The system of government of Thailand is that of a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. The system of the Thai legislative branch is modelled after the Westminster system. The House of Representatives has 500 members, of which 400 are elected through single member constituency elections, while the other 100 are chosen through party lists parallel voting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution of Armenia</span> Supreme law of Armenia

The Constitution of Armenia was adopted by a nationwide Armenian referendum on July 5, 1995. This constitution established Armenia as a democratic, sovereign, social, and constitutional state. Yerevan is defined as the state's capital. Power is vested in its citizens, who exercise it directly through the election of government representatives. Decisions related to changes in constitutional status or to an alteration of borders are subject to a vote of the citizens of Armenia exercised in a referendum. There are 117 articles in the 1995 constitution. On November 27, 2005, a nationwide constitutional referendum was held and an amended constitution was adopted. The constitution was amended again in a national referendum on December 6, 2015 that changed the political structure from a semi-presidential system to a parliamentary republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francesco Masini</span> Maltese lawyer and politician

Francesco Masini was a lawyer and politician from the island of Gozo, Malta. In 1947, he founded the Gozo Party, and was elected to the Maltese Legislative Assembly together with two other party members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gozo</span> Island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea

Gozo and in antiquity known as Gaulos, is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago.

The Maltese order of precedence is a conventionally set list. It is only used as a guide for protocol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crown Colony of Malta</span> British colony in Europe from 1813 to 1964

The Crown Colony of the Island of Malta and its Dependencies was the British colony in the Maltese islands, today the modern Republic of Malta. It was established when the Malta Protectorate was transformed into a British Crown colony in 1813, and this was confirmed by the Treaty of Paris in 1814.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gozitan Nation</span> Independent state of Gozo (1798–1801)

The Gozitan Nation, commonly known as Gozo, was an unrecognised state located on the island of Gozo between 1798 and 1801 during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was a monarchy recognizing the authority of Ferdinand III of Sicily with a provisional government led by Governor-General Saverio Cassar. Its capital was Rabat. The country was established between 28 and 29 October 1798 from the territory of French-occupied Malta and was eventually incorporated into Malta Protectorate on 20 August 1801.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyrus Engerer</span> Maltese politician

Cyrus Engerer is a Maltese Member of European Parliament representing the Labour Party. A gay rights activist, he was the leading spokesperson for the Yes campaign at the 2011 Maltese divorce referendum. In 2021 he was tasked with negotiating the European Parliaments historic resolution on the declaration of the European Union as an LGBTQ Freedom zone, in reaction to the establishment of so called "LGBT-Free zones" in Poland. Engerer later went on to write the European Parliaments resolution which condemned the laws in Hungary which effectively banned "LGBT propaganda" in the vicinity of schools. From 2014 till 2019 Engerer was the Prime Minister's special envoy to the European Union. He was elected as a Member of the European Parliament in November 2020. After he joined the Labour Party the Police of Malta opened an investigation against him, leading to his father's arrest, the opening of a court case against him on spreading pornography and the arrest of his mother on election day. He himself was convicted for spreading revenge porn and received a suspended two years term imprisonment. He is the partner of Partit Laburista's Member of Parliament Randolph De Battista.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banca Giuratale (Victoria, Gozo)</span> City hall of Victoria, Gozo, Malta

The Banca Giuratale is the city hall of Victoria, Gozo, Malta. It was built in the 18th century as the seat of the Università of Gozo, and over the years it housed several government departments and also served as a police station and a post office. The building is currently the seat of the Victoria Local Council and the Gozo Regional Committee, and it also houses the culture and information sections of the Ministry for Gozo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malta–Gozo Tunnel</span> Planned undersea road tunnel

The Malta–Gozo Tunnel is a planned undersea tunnel between the islands of Malta and Gozo, both part of the Republic of Malta. The tunnel would replace the Gozo Channel Line, the current inter-island ferry service, between Ċirkewwa in Malta and Mġarr in Gozo.
In October 2022, plans were shelved.

Anton Tabone is a Maltese politician. Appointed the first Minister for Gozo Affairs in 1987 he was re-appointed in the same portfolio in 1992, a post he held up to 1996. Between 1998 and 2008 he served as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

References

  1. Facsimiles Examples National Archives of Gozo
  2. Referenda in Malta: The Questions and the Voters' Responses Archived 2013-11-11 at the Wayback Machine Elections in Malta
  3. "Gozo regional Committee formed". Times of Malta . 11 July 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2015.