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Constitution of Malta 1964, as amended to 2022
National level
- English
(1) If at a general election which is contested by two or more political parties and in which only candidates of two parties are elected or in the eventuality of an election result as provided for in sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii) of the proviso to sub-article (1) of article 52 and in the event that the number of Members of Parliament of the under-represented sex, elected by virtue of article 52, inclusive of those members elected at a casual election in terms of the relevant regulations, is less than forty per cent (40%) of all the Members of Parliament, then the number of Members of Parliament shall increase by not more than twelve (12) Members of the under-represented sex:
Provided that the number of Members of Parliament of the under-represented sex elected by virtue of article 52 added to the members of the under-represented sex elected by virtue of this article shall not exceed forty per cent (40%) of the total number of elected Members of Parliament making up the House.
The candidates elected by virtue of this article are to be apportioned equally between the absolute majority party or the relative majority party and the minority party.
(2) Such candidate or candidates belonging to the underrepresented sex and who are candidates of the party or parties which shall be credited with the additional seats, and which were credited by the Electoral Commission at the last count with the highest or next higher number of votes without being elected, irrespective of the division in which such highest or next higher number of votes occur, shall be declared by the Electoral Commission as elected to fill the additional seats created by sub-article (1):
Provided that in the event that the number of candidates established under this article is not reached, following the application of the preceding sub-article, such candidates belonging to the underrepresented sex shall be declared by the Electoral Commission to be elected to fill the remaining additional seats created by this article who, being candidates of the party which is to be credited with the additional seats, were ranked on a national basis by the Electoral Commission with the highest or next higher number of percentage quota obtained on the basis of their respective final count vote before elimination in relation to the quota of the electoral division contested:
Provided further that in the event that the number of candidates established under this article is not reached as foreseen in this sub-article, the seats thereafter remaining vacant shall be filled by the co-option of a Member or Members by the House and such Member or Members shall be qualified to be elected as a Member of the House as established under article 53, shall not be subject to any disqualifications for membership of the House as provided under article 54 and shall belong to the under-represented sex.
(3) For the purpose of this article, elected and unelected candidates who are identified as gender-neutral persons in their official documentation, shall be counted with the under-represented sex.
(4) This article shall remain in force until the expiry of the period of twenty (20) years from the date of its coming into force, unless revoked or re-enacted with or without modification by means of an Act of Parliament according to the provisions of this Constitution. (Art. 52A) - Maltese
(1) Jekk f’elezzjoni ġenerali li tkun ikkontestata minn żewġ partiti politiċi jew aktar u li fiha l-kandidati ta’ żewġ partiti biss ikunu eletti jew f’każ ta’ riżultat ta’ elezzjoni kif provdut fis-subparagrafi (i) u (ii) tal-proviso tas-subartikolu (1) tal-artikolu 52 u fil-każ li n-numru ta’ Membri tal-Parlament tas-sess l-inqas rappreżentat, elett bis-saħħa tal-artikolu 52, inkluż dawk il-membri eletti f’elezzjoni każwali skont ir-regolamenti rilevanti, huwa inqas minn erbgħin fil-mija (40%) tal-Membri kollha tal-Parlament, allura n-numru ta’ Membri tal Parlament għandu jiżdied b’mhux aktar minn tnax (12)-il Membru tas-sess l-inqas rappreżentat:
Iżda n-numru ta’ Membri Parlamentari tas-sess l-inqas rappreżentat elett bis-saħħa tal-artikolu 52 miżjud mal-membri tas-sess l-inqas rappreżentat elett bis-saħħa ta’ dan l-artikolu ma għandux jaqbeż l-erbgħin fil-mija (40%) tan-numru totali ta’ Membri eletti tal-Parlament li jifforma l-Kamra.
Il-kandidati eletti bis-saħħa ta’ dan l-artikolu għandhom ikunu mqassma ugwalment bejn il-partit b’maġġoranza assoluta jew il partit b’maġġoranza relattiva u l-partit b’minoranza.
(2) Dak il-kandidat jew il-kandidati li jagħmlu parti mis-sess l-inqas rappreżentat u li jkunu kandidati tal-partit jew tal-partiti li għandhom jiġu akkreditati bis-siġġijiet addizzjonali, u li jkunu ġew akkreditati mill-Kummissjoni Elettorali fl-aħħar għadd bl-ogħla jew bin-numru ta’ voti li jmiss l-aktar għoli mingħajr ma jkunu ġew eletti, irrispettivament mid-distrett fejn jinkiseb dak l-ogħla jew in-numru ta’ voti li jmiss l-aktar għoli, għandhom jiġu ddikjarati mill-Kummissjoni Elettorali bħala eletti biex jimlew is-siġġijiet addizzjonali maħluqa mis-subartikolu (1):
Iżda f’każ li n-numru ta’ kandidati stabbiliti taħt dan l-artikolu ma jintlaħaqx, wara l-applikazzjoni tas-subartikolu preċedenti, għandhom ikunu ddikjarati eletti mill-Kummissjoni Elettorali biex jimlew il-bqija tas-siġġijiet addizzjonali maħluqa minn dan l-artikolu, dawk il-kandidati li jagħmlu parti mis-sess l-inqas rappreżentat, li jkunu kandidati tal-partiti li għandhom jiġu akkreditati bis-siġġijiet addizzjonali u li ġew gradati fuq bażi nazzjonali mill-Kummissjoni Elettorali bl-ogħla jew bin-numru li jmiss l-aktar għoli ta’ kwota perċentwali miksuba fuq il-bażi tal-għadd finali tal-vot rispettiv tagħhom, qabel l-eliminazzjoni, b’rabta mal-kwota tad-distrett elettorali kkontestat:
Iżda wkoll f’każ li n-numru ta’ kandidati stabbiliti taħt dan l-artikolu ma jintlaħaqx kif previst f’dan is-subartikolu, is-siġġijiet li jibqgħu vakanti għandhom jimtlew bl-għażla ta’ Membru jew Membri mill-Kamra u dak il-Membru jew Membri għandhom ikunu kwalifikati biex ikunu eletti bħala Membru tal-Kamra kif stabbilit taħt l-artikolu 53, ma għandhomx ikunu soġġetti għal ebda skwalifika għas-sħubija fil-Kamra kif provdut taħt l-artikolu 54 u għandhom jappartjenu għas-sess l-inqas rappreżentat.
(3) Għall-finijiet ta’ dan l-artikolu, kandidati eletti jew li ma jkunux ġew eletti li huma identifikati bħala newtrali fir-rigward tal-ġeneru fid-dokumentazzjoni uffiċjali, għandhom jingħaddu mas-sess l-inqas rappreżentat.
(4) Dan l-artikolu għandu jibqa’ fis-seħħ sal-iskadenza tal-perjodu ta’ għoxrin (20) sena mid-data li jidħol fis-seħħ, sakemm ma jiġix imħassar jew imdaħħal mill-ġdid bi jew mingħajr modifika permezz ta’ Att tal-Parlament skont id-dispożizzjonijiet ta’ din il-Kostituzzjoni. (Art. 52A)
1
Constitution of Malta 1964, as amended to 2022 (English). According to Art. 5(1): "The National language of Malta is the Maltese language.”
3
Chapter IV on Fundamental Rights and Freedoms of the Individual