Twelve women have been elected to parliament thanks to the gender quota mechanism, which has been introduced for the first time.

The mechanism came into play following the conclusion of casual elections on Tuesday morning.

The candidates were the women from the parties already represented in parliament, who came closest to being elected.

The new MPs include Malta's youngest ever parliamentarian, the PN's Eve Borg Bonello, a law student who is just 18.

The other new additional PN MPs are Janice Chetcuti, Paula Mifsud Bonnici, Julie Zahra, Bernice Bonello and Claudette Buttigieg. Buttigieg and Mifsud Bonnici had already served as MPs in previous legislatures.

The PN candidates elected on the basis of the gender quota - clockwise: Eve Borg Bonello, Julia Zahra, Janice Chetcuti, Bernice Bonello, Paula Mifsud Bonnici and Claudette Buttigieg.

The additional MPs on the Labour side are Alicia Bugeja Said, Cressida Galea, Abigail Camilleri, Amanda Spiteri Grech, Naomi Cachia u Davina Sammut Hili, all new MPs. 

Labour's six women elected by the gender quota - clockwise - Cressida Galea, Abigail Camilleri, Alicia Bugeja Sant, Naomi Cachia, Davina Sammut Hili and Amanda Spiteri Grech.

Independent candidate Arnold Cassola, who is challenging the legality of the mechanism in court, and ADPD chairperson Carmel Cacopardo both said on Tuesday that the method of adding more women into parliament was poorly thought out and distorted parliamentary representation.