1921 : electoral issues

Abstract

The granting of self-government to Malta in 1921 ushered in a new era for the island. Although Malta was still largely controlled by Britain, the Maltese representatives could now voice their claims with a hope of actually achieving something; henceforth, they themselves were responsible for local affairs. As a natural sequel to the granting of self-government, political activity in Malta started mounting slowly until it reached a climax during the general elections which were held in October 1921. In this constitutional frame-work, properly organized political parties were bound to develop. Five political parties were formed in view of the imminent elections. These were the Unione Politica Maltese (U.P.M.) under the leadership of Mgr. Ignazio Panzavecchia, the Anglo-Maltese party (A.M.P.) under Sir Gerald Strickland, the Maltese Constitutional Party (M.C.P.) under Dr. Augustus Bartolo, the Partito Democratico Nazionalista (P.D.N.) under Dr. Enrico Mizzi, and the Labour Party (L.P.) under Col. William Savona.