Constitutional and Political Institutions
The exam tests how Malta is governed: the 1964 Constitution as amended in 1974, the President, Parliament, the electoral system, the courts and local government.
Head of state and head of government
The President is head of state, elected by the House of Representatives for a five-year term and acting on advice in most matters. The Prime Minister is head of government - the MP best able to command a majority - and the President appoints him and, on his advice, the other ministers. Cabinet is drawn from Parliament and is answerable to it.
Parliament and elections
Parliament is unicameral: the Kamra tad-Deputati. Sixty-five members are elected from thirteen five-seat districts by the Single Transferable Vote, a proportional system. A corrective mechanism adds seats where a party wins more than half of first-preference votes but not a majority of seats, which is why the House can exceed 65 members. The Speaker presides; general elections are held at least every five years and the voting age is 16.
Courts and oversight
Judges are appointed by the President on the Prime Minister's advice and hold office to retirement. The Civil Court (Constitutional Jurisdiction) hears fundamental-rights cases, with appeal to the Constitutional Court. The Ombudsman, the National Audit Office and the Electoral Commission are independent bodies. Sixty-eight local councils deliver local services.
Worked example
A party takes 51% of first-preference votes but only 33 of 65 seats. Because the Constitution aims to give a party with an absolute majority of votes a majority of seats, the corrective mechanism tops up its tally until it does.
Traps
Assuming the President is directly elected or governs; describing Parliament as bicameral; calling the system first-past-the-post; treating 65 seats as a fixed cap.