General election in Malta 1971
The parliamentary elections in Malta in 1971 for the election of the representatives of the House of Representatives , the Parliament of the Republic of Malta , took place from June 12 to 14, 1971.
background
The number of MPs had been increased from 50 to 55 before this election.
The election campaign began in May 1971. Essentially, it was fought between the Nationalist Party , which had a majority in parliament in the previous term , and the Labor Party . The two parties put up 78 and 94 candidates, respectively. The Constitutional Progressive Party had 19 candidates and eight people stood for independent candidates.
In the election manifestos of the two main parties, measures to promote the economic and social development of the island were proposed. However, the parties had different positions on foreign policy. While the Nationalist Party, led by the previous Prime Minister Ġorġ Borg Olivier, sought closer relations between Malta and Great Britain, the Labor Party , led by Dominic Mintoff, supported a much more neutral position in the island's relations with other countries. She suggested that any country wishing to set up military bases in Malta be required to pay for such facilities. She also advocated closer ties with Libya.
Overall, the election campaign took place in a calm atmosphere.
Election result
The Labor Party won just ahead of the Nationalist Party, which had ruled until then, and on June 17, Dominic Mintoff was asked to form the new government.
| party | Votes | % | Seats | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Party | 85,448 | 50.8 | 28 | +6 |
| Nationalist Party | 80,753 | 48.1 | 27 | −1 |
| Progressive Constitutionalist Party | 1,756 | 1.0 | 0 | ± 0 |
| Independent | 102 | 0.1 | 0 | ± 0 |
| Invalid votes | 854 | - | - | - |
| total | 168,918 | 100 | 55 | +5 |
| Registered voters / turnout | 181,768 | 92.9 | - | - |