Artist
6thJuly2005, 13:18
Electoral law talks
7.5 per cent national threshold proposed
Natalino Fenech (nfenech@timesofmalta.com)
A national threshold of 7.5 per cent is on the table of talks on electoral law reforms.
The threshold represents a minimum number of votes that a party must win in order to be represented in Parliament.
Changes to the laws were on the top of the agenda in a recent meeting between Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Labour Party leader Alfred Sant, it was learnt yesterday.
Sources said the two discussed "revolutionary reforms" that could lead to the introduction of a national threshold and a third party in Parliament.
One of the proposals is to set a threshold of 7.5 per cent of the vote on a national basis for a party. This could give the party five seats in Parliament if the current number of 65 seats is retained.
The proposed threshold would be equivalent to about 23,000 votes from a voting population of 304,000.
The current single transferable vote system has an inbuilt threshold of 16.67 per cent in every district, which amounts to between 3,600 and 3,800 votes in the district.
But if the national threshold is introduced, it is very likely that the district threshold will be removed.
Another proposed reform to the electoral law is to consider Gozo as a region and treat the districts in Malta separately.
In its report presented to the Prime Minister last May, the Electoral Commission had said that the 13th district, which is made up of Gozo and Comino, had 7.74 per cent more voters than the national average and proposed that Ghajnsielem would form part of the 12th district, which would be made up of Ghajnsielem, Mellieha, Naxxar and St Paul's Bay.
Sources said the electoral reforms being discussed included issues that required changes to the Constitution, such as the size and number of districts.
"The electoral reforms in the pipeline are part of a wider package," the sources added.
The package is believed to include the appointment of a new Ombudsman, a new chairman for the Broadcasting Authority and an assistant Auditor General.
In the case of the Ombudsman, a two-thirds majority of the House is required.
7.5 per cent national threshold proposed
Natalino Fenech (nfenech@timesofmalta.com)
A national threshold of 7.5 per cent is on the table of talks on electoral law reforms.
The threshold represents a minimum number of votes that a party must win in order to be represented in Parliament.
Changes to the laws were on the top of the agenda in a recent meeting between Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Labour Party leader Alfred Sant, it was learnt yesterday.
Sources said the two discussed "revolutionary reforms" that could lead to the introduction of a national threshold and a third party in Parliament.
One of the proposals is to set a threshold of 7.5 per cent of the vote on a national basis for a party. This could give the party five seats in Parliament if the current number of 65 seats is retained.
The proposed threshold would be equivalent to about 23,000 votes from a voting population of 304,000.
The current single transferable vote system has an inbuilt threshold of 16.67 per cent in every district, which amounts to between 3,600 and 3,800 votes in the district.
But if the national threshold is introduced, it is very likely that the district threshold will be removed.
Another proposed reform to the electoral law is to consider Gozo as a region and treat the districts in Malta separately.
In its report presented to the Prime Minister last May, the Electoral Commission had said that the 13th district, which is made up of Gozo and Comino, had 7.74 per cent more voters than the national average and proposed that Ghajnsielem would form part of the 12th district, which would be made up of Ghajnsielem, Mellieha, Naxxar and St Paul's Bay.
Sources said the electoral reforms being discussed included issues that required changes to the Constitution, such as the size and number of districts.
"The electoral reforms in the pipeline are part of a wider package," the sources added.
The package is believed to include the appointment of a new Ombudsman, a new chairman for the Broadcasting Authority and an assistant Auditor General.
In the case of the Ombudsman, a two-thirds majority of the House is required.