33. What criteria determine allocation for free or subsidized access to media for political parties?

'Similarly, in Malta, the Broadcasting Authority organises schemes of political broadcasts during electoral campaigns and grants access to these schemes to all political parties and independent candidates contesting the general elections. A judgement of the Constitutional Court of the 31 July 1996 has held that this provision would be incompatible with the Constitution if it were to be interpreted in a manner that completely excludes access to these political broadcasts to parties not represented in Parliament. A 1971 Court of Appeal decision affirmed that in apportioning participation in such schemes of electoral broadcasts between political parties the Broadcasting Authority had an obligation to take account of the size of the parties.' (p. 2) (Source: EPRA (2000) Political Communication on Television Matters for debate, EPRA, Paris. Available at http://www.epra.org/content/english/press/back.html)

The allocation mechanisms corresponding to Article 34 (b) of the Financing of Political Parties Act will be described in a law that has not yet been implemented. Proportionally, though not clear in relation to seats or votes.