Election History Bites | A Communist Party

Malta once had a Communist Party but in the only election it ever contested—1987—it only garnered 119 votes or 0.05% of valid votes cast. It won no parliamentary seats.

The party had been active since the 1970s, but it was only in 1987 that it took the step to contest an election.

Under the leadership of Anthony Vassallo, the Communist Party fielded six candidates, who each contested on two districts. Apart from Vassallo, the candidates were: Victor Degiovanni, Karmenu Gerada, Mario Mifsud, Mark Vassallo and Carmen Tabone.

The party was represented on the ballot sheet in 12 of the 13 districts, having fielded no one on Gozo. Its highest tally was 23 votes in the Second District and its lowest was a single vote in the Sixth District.

The party never contested any other general election after 1987 and faded away into oblivion. Some of its members continued being active in left-leaning organisations, while others joined the Labour Party in subsequent years.

Election History Bites powered by Agenda Bookshop is a series of election-inspired stories that will be published from Monday to Friday every morning throughout the election campaign