The new edition of the history of the general elections in Malta written by Michael J. Schiavone was released recently by Pubblikazzjonijiet Indipendenza – PIN.

This is the fourth update edition with 1,360 pages. The author describes the political events pre and post of every elections since 1921, and also the political struggle of our forefathers since 1800 to achieve their rights, and the first constitution of 1835.

This volume contains the evolution of our political parties since 1800 and the granting of the new Constitution for Malta for  Responsible Government in 1921. The author gives details of all the constitutional reforms between 1921 and 1974 and all the events, results, facts, tables, candidates elected, and the respective photos of all deputies elected between 1921 and 2013 in 23 chapters.  Every chapter is concluded with a table of the first preferences of every party in all districts.

Another section of this book includes 28 tables, such as statistics and details of all elections, registered voters,  votes casts, valid an invalid votes of all the elections, votes and percentages for all parties, formation of all governments, candidates and candidatures  in all districts, candidates obtaining the highest number of votes, and those obtaining more than one hundred per cent of the quota, women candidates and those elected since 1947,  the opening and dissolutions of all Legislative Assembly, list of all the Presidents of the Senate and Speakers, list of all cabinet ministers, and finally a list contains more than 3,000 candidates, participated in the elections between 1921 and 2013 with their respective achievements.

Two appendices – section 9 and 10 consists of 14 ancillary items bound with our electoral history. Lists and biographies of all the political leaders, prime ministers and the speakers, history and results of all the referenda since 1870, results of European Parliament elections, the proportional system, members of the electoral commissions, the Civil Commissioners, Governors and Presidents of Malta, important dates of our history, a section of colour pictures with the most important events since 1921, a bibliography and an index.

Prof. Henry Frendo in his forward to this publication says that ‘this is not a simple chronological update of dates and facts about our electoral history, this book includes a documented commentary of the political events before and during elections and legislatures. The author emphasizes, the repeated incidents of political violence of the ‘70’s and ‘80s, as well as the political scenario during the negotiations of the integration for Malta and the Constitution of Independence to Malta’. This is an indispensable tool for the researcher, as well as for students and the general public.

The book can be obtained from PIN Bookshop, Mountbatten Street Hamrun, near the Dar Centrali, Hamrun (entrance from Eurotours), for  €55.