The Malta Independent on Sunday
Maltese constitutional history and active participation in politics
It was estimated that more than 40,000 votes were not cast in the last election revealing a large number of disgruntled and politically-inactive voters. As Malta prepares for the Local Councils and the MEP elections in June of this year, it would be interesting to consider that short, but significant period of Malta’s chequered constitutional development under British rule; precisely the 1921 Constitution granting limited autonomy and self-government to the Maltese.
In doing so, this feature also examines a letter-circular issued nearly 100 years ago, in 1923, by the Constitutional Party under the leadership of Count Sir Gerald Strickland. This letter was a rallying call for more active participation in the political life of the country. It also captures, to quite a degree, the political climate of the time.
The 1921 Constitution
Maltese constitutional history and development since 1813 are well-documented in Melitensia. The same can be said to the analysis of political parties and general elections since 1849 till the present day.
It was in 1921 that the first constitution was granted by Britain whereby responsible government was established in Malta with ministers composing a legislature that the people of Malta could elect.
The 1921 Constitution gave Malta a diarchal system, where the Maltese legislature was also given the power to make laws, entitled acts for the peace, order and good governance of Malta. These acts were subject to the limitation that such power was not to extend to matters referred to as “reserved matters” (such matters as defence of the island, the control and regulation of aerial navigation and aircraft and other), which were left in the hands of the Maltese Imperial Government, which constituted the other side of the diarchy.
Four elections for the Senate were held under this constitution (1921, 1924, 1927 and 1932).
Balance of power
There was a delicate balance of power between the Colonial Government and the Maltese Church. This became upset with the introduction of what was termed as the native Maltese Government of 1921. With Count Sir Strickland at the helm of the government, much prudence in dealing with Church issues had gone, making the government much more vulnerable to ecclesiastical attacks.
When Strickland came to Malta after the First World War, he entered politics by forming the Anglo-Maltese Party in 1920. In 1921, this party joined the Constitutional Party of Augustus Bartolo, since both were considered as pro-British.
This period of constitutional development brought together on the Maltese political playing field the three major power groups in Malta:
The pro-Italian lobby (among who were most of the clergy and their supporters);
The pro-British lobby (the Constitutionalists and the Labourites, who tended to be somewhat anti-clerical); and
The colonial administration led by the Governor.
In the first election under the 1921 Constitution, there was a minority government but in April 1921 a coalition was made between the Unione Politica Maltese (UPM) and the Labour Party. This ended in January 1923 and the UPM continued to lead on its own. The Prime Minister was Jospeh Howard (26 October 1921 to 13 October 1923) and Francesco Buhagiar (14 October 1923 to 17 September 1924). The leader of the Opposition was Count Sir Strickland.
The Constitutional Party was in government between 1927 and 1930 with Strickland as prime minister.
Letter-Circular
Soon after the granting of self-government in 1921 and after the first election under the 1921 Constitution, the Executive Committee of the CP felt that the time had come to enlist the active co-operation of a larger body of the party’s sympathisers.
As a step towards achieving this, the formation of a General Committee of the Party was proposed. This was expected to meet at intervals of three to six weeks according to convenience for the interchange of political ideas with a view to consolidating the work of the party in Parliament.
It was also proposed that its membership should not exceed 45, all of whom were to be approved by the Executive.
At the first meeting of the General Committee, the members were to appoint their own secretary, who could be admitted to the Executive Committee. Any member of the Executive Committee could attend all meetings of the General Committee without the privilege of voting. The General Committee was to arrange to hold debates on all questions of the time with a view to creating a more active interest in politics.
A call for more active participation
The CP circular made it clear that the Maltese, particularly the party’s supporters, and the Maltese people in general were now solely responsible for their own individual and collective welfare.
Since Malta had just been given responsible governance, this was a time of testing to show the world and especially the British Empire that the Maltese were capable of a sense of self-reliance and responsibility. National honour, credit and responsibility to the rising generation were also the issues at stake.
The CP considered that the votes of the people at the first general elections of 1921 had resulted in the placing in power of a government which had proved weak, ineffective and unable to cope with the difficulties confronting Malta.
A plea was made in the Circular to “… every Maltese who has at heart the betterment of his island, and who believes in the inestimable privilege of belonging to the British Empire, and in the advantages of British culture to aid the CP in its endeavours to procure clean straightforward government with equality of opportunity for each and all both here and abroad. Self-government has laid upon the most enlightened of us a very high and solemn trust, and because we are pioneers, those of us who see the light have a sacred duty to perform. The individual makes the state and each of us however small in ourselves contribute for either good or evil in the collective whole”. In the circular, a quotation by Mr Chamberlain, (speaking of Malta in the House of Commons in 1900), was added as further evidence of the need for more active participation in Maltese political life. The reason given by Chamberlain for lack of candidates was the objection by the more educated and intelligent part of the population (who had large stakes in the country) that the language of the local papers was so scurrilous and so personal that they are not prepared to face it.
It is noted that the supporters of the CP came mainly from the business class, civil service employment and skilled workers. Some supporters had anti-clerical ideas and aimed at reducing the influence of the Church on Maltese society and way of life.
Constitutional retrogression and the demise of the CP
The constitution of 1921 worked rather smoothly until the political crisis of 1928-30. The clash between Church and state intensified to a grievous climax in 1930 when the Church declared it would be a mortal sin to vote for Lord Strickland’s CP.
This crisis gave way to a period of grave constitutional retrogression that led to a substantial return to the 1813-35 period. Eventually, the Maltese were left without a constitution when the 1921 Constitution was suspended in 1936.
After Strickland’s death in 1940, its leaders did not have Strickland’s leadership and his dynamic and militant qualities. Consequently, the party lost many supporters who changed sides to the Labour Party. In 1953, the CP contested the elections for the last time but failed to elect anyone in the Legislative Assembly.