The Nationalist Party (PN) has proposed that Gozo be a single electoral district with common parliamentary representatives for all Gozitans. In fact in the coming days, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi is expected to present in parliament a proposal for an amendment to the Constitution of Malta that would see Gozo defined as one district in all circumstances.
The PN said in a statement that this issue was discussed during meetings between the Malta Labour Party with the PN emphasising that this move should occur without any conditions as are being put forth by the MLP.
“The PN is the party which has a politics in favour of Gozo and the Gozitans. The PN has always found opposition from the MLP about initiatives in favour of Gozo,” PN general secretary Joe Saliba said in a press release.
Saliba recalled that even the European Union had recognised Gozo as a region during negotiations with the Nationalist government.
The PN appealed to the MLP to reflect on its stand and support this constitutional amendment.
In order to be accepted, the amendment has to be approved by two thirds of the members of parliament.
MLP Deputy Leader Dr Michael Falzon, who leads the MLP team in the intra-party discussions for changes in the elecotral law, said the MLP is in favour or Gozo retaining its status of a single electoral district.
However he insisted that this must be taken in a wider context and be included in changes to the current electoral law that has produced the perverse result of 1996 where the MLP won the general elections with a majorirty of over 8,000 votes but obtained three seats less than the PN because of the way the electoral districts had been drawn by the PN government.
Discussions for a reform in the electoral law have been going on for more than a year.
See also:
Electoral Commission report debated in Parliament
by MaltaMeda News - May 24, 2005, 10:55
Political parties discuss electoral system reforms
by MaltaMeda News - Mar 22, 2005, 16:30
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