The interplay between coloniser and colonised is not always documented in black on white in official sources.  Landmark governance instruments are often preserved with reverence in official archives.  However, one has to dig deeper into the sources to unearth the painstaking efforts by lobby groups, parties and individuals to arrive at landmark political achievements.  This section maps the struggle for self-determination and the birth of political parties.  The role of the Catholic Church in Malta in the search for national identity  features.  The records also immortalise the successive attempts at building the necessary infrastructure that supports government and public administration.  A case in point is the lengthy and controversial process to build a Parliamentary edifice.  This section also hints at the bickering and controversies associated with crucial decisions this country had to take such as options on its future political destiny – choices like Integration with Great Britain, Independence and EU membership.  The Gozo dimension is also highlighted through reference to the structures of semi-autonomy that were tested over time.  The introduction of Local Government was probably the last extensive governance reform represented in the archives already open to the public.