Birkirkara split in revised electoral boundaries as political battle brews

A political storm was brewing on Tuesday as the government and opposition members of the Electoral Commission issued separate reports on revisions of the electoral districts.

The way Malta's 13 electoral districts are delineated is important and could be crucial to the outcome of a general election if candidates are elected from more than two political parties. In that situation, a party winning a majority of parliamentary seats will have the right to govern, even if the other parties win more first-count votes. Each district returns five MPs.

Revisions of the composition of the districts are required periodically by the constitution to ensure that their population size does not vary by more than 5% between them. Gozo, however, remains one district, whatever its population size.

The revision proposed by the government-appointed members of the commission will raise some eyebrows. Birkirkara, for example, which is at the heart of the eighth district, is being split, with part of it going to the first district. But then part of Pieta' is being hived off the first district to go with the ninth and part of Naxxar is going into the eighth.

The revision proposed by the commission's PN members keeps all towns and villages united, other than in the case of Swieqi, which is seeing Madliena hived off. 

The proposed changes were laid out in a document presented to parliament on Tuesday.  

The proposed revisions in the commission's main report, signed by the government-appointed members, are as follows:

• 4,177 voters in Birkirkara, including 1,113 residents of Fleur-de-Lys, will be transferred to the first district. Birkirkara is in the eighth district.
• 1,673 voters resident in Pieta are being moved to the ninth district.
• 730 voters resident at Zonqor, Marsascala are being moved from the third to the second district.
• 544 voters at Ħal Farruġ, Luqa, will be shifted from the fifth to the sixth district. Luqa will thus be rejoined after having previously been split.
• 1,320 residents of Zebbuġ will shift from the sixth to the seventh district. As a result, Zebbuġ is also being rejoined.
• 173 voters in Mdina (11th district) are being moved to the seventh district (Zebbug).
• 3,734 residents of Mġarr will be moved from the seventh to the 12th district.
• 6,051 residents of Naxxar will shift to the eighth district. A further 4,931 residents of Naxxar will vote in the 10th district, meaning that the locality will be split between the eighth and the 10th districts.   
• 799 voters from Burmarrad will transfer to the 12th district.

Such boundary revisions are a nightmare for election candidates, who would have ‘worked’ their localities over the years with a large number of house visits and activities which could count for nothing when parts of a locality are moved to a district they would not be contesting.

The new composition of districts as proposed in the commission's majority report

District 1 - Population 27,442

Valletta, Part of Birkirkara, Fleur-de-lys, Floriana, Hamrun, Marsa, Guardamangia, Pieta, Sta Venera.

District 2 - Population - 27,401

Vittoriosa, Senglea, Cospicua, Zabbar, Part of Fgura, Kalkara, Part of Marsascala, Xghajra.

District 3 - Population 27,405

Zejtun, Għaxaq, Marsascala, Marsaxlokk.

District 4 - Population 26,524

Fgura, Gudja, Paola, Sta Luċija, Tarxien.

District 5 - Population 26,992

Birzebbuġa, Mqabba, Kirkop, Qrendi, Safi, Zurrieq, Bubaqra.

District 6 - Population  26,442

Qormi, Siġġiewi, Luqa, Hal Farruġ.

District 7 - Population - 26,205

Mdina, Zebbuġ Malta, Dingli, Mtarfa, Rabat Malta, Baħrija, Tal-Virtu.

District 8 - 27,992

Balzan, Birkirkara, Swatar, Iklin, Lija, Part of Naxxar.

District 9 - Population 27,446

Ghargħur, Msida, Swatar, Pieta', San Ġwann, Kappara, Swieqi, Madliena, Ta'Xbiex.

District 10 - 27,856

Gzira, Naxxar, Baħar ic-Cagħaq, Pembroke, St Julians, Paceville, Sliema.

District 11 - 26,430

Attard, Mosta.

District 12 - Population 25,666

Mellieħa, Mġarr, St Paul's Bay, Burmarrad.

District 13 - Population 31,608  

Gozo.

Gozo remains one district regardless of population size. 

The composition of districts proposed in the minority report:

District 1 - Population 26,733

Valletta, Floriana, Hamrun, Msida, Pieta' Sta Venera.

District 2 - Population 26,994

Vittoriosa, Senglea, Cospicua, Zejtun, Fgura.

District 3 - Population 28,256

Zabbar, Kalkara, Marsascala, Xgħajra.

District 4 - Population 27,471

Gudja, Luqa, Marsa, Paola, Sta Luċija, Tarxien

District 5 - Population 27,017

Birzebbuġa, Għaxaq, Marsaxlokk, Safi and Zurrieq.

District 6 - Population 25,925

Zebbuġ Malta, Siġġiewi, Kirkop, Mqabba, Qrendi.

District 7 - Population 26,165

Mdina, Qormi, Attard, Balzan

District 8 - Population 27, 272

Birkirkara, San Ġwann

District 9 - Population 26,384

Gharghur, Iklin Lija, Mosta, Madliena

District 10 - Population 26,172

Gzira, St Julians, Sliema, Swieqi, Ta' Xbiex

District 11 - Population 28,193

Naxxar, Pembroke, St Paul's Bay

District 12 - Population 27,219

Dingli, Mellieħa, Mġarr, Rabat Malta, Mtarfa

District 13 - Population 31,608

Gozo.