of
the prime minister

election results: Guido DE MARCO elected president; percent of
House of Representatives vote - 54%

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (usually 65
seats; note - additional seats are given to the party with the
largest popular vote to ensure a legislative majority; members are
elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation
to serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 5 September 1998 (next to be held by September
2003)

election results: percent of vote by party - PN 51.8%, MLP 46.9%,
AD 1.2%; seats by party - PN 35, MLP 30

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court; Court of Appeal; judges for
both courts are appointed by the president on the advice of the
prime minister

Political parties and leaders: Alternativa Demokratika/Alliance for
Social Justice or AD [Harry VASSALLO]; Malta Labor Party or MLP
[Alfred SANT]; Nationalist Party or PN [Edward FENECH ADAMI]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: C, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, EU
(applicant), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer),
ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
George SALIBA

chancery: 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 462-3611, 3612

FAX: [1] (202) 387-5470

consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
George SALIBA

embassy: 3rd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana,
Malta VLT 01

mailing address: P. O. Box 535, Valletta, Malta, CMR 01

telephone: [356] 235960 through 235965

FAX: [356] 243229

Flag description: two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and
red; in the upper hoist-side corner is a representation of the Saint
George Cross, edged in red

Malta Economy

Economy - overview: Major resources are limestone, a favorable
geographic location, and a productive labor force. Malta produces
only about 20% of its food needs, has limited freshwater supplies,
and has no domestic energy sources. The economy is dependent on
foreign trade, manufacturing (especially electronics and textiles),
and tourism. Malta is privatizing state-controlled firms and
liberalizing markets in order to prepare for members