This intense electoral campaign has come to an end. Now it is all in your hands. This is when power really goes to the people. This is how we celebrate our democracy.

Although surveys are showing that there are a good number of undecided voters out there, I think that this number is much, much smaller than indicated in the surveys.

In my opinion, those declaring to be undecided have already decided but are not comfortable showing it. For a variety of reasons, they do not trust the “innocent” voice on the phone asking them questions about their voting intentions. They feel threatened and will not reveal any information.

I sympathise with this group of people because I met a good number of them. They are the true game changers.

Within this group there are the switchers, who were considered to be PN voters until 2008, voted PL in 2013, but who will choose Malta this time round.

They don’t want to express their voting intentions because they don’t want to be taken for granted by the PN. They also don’t want some bright spark talking down to them with some “I told you so” attitude.

Then there are the new switchers: those who always voted Labour but who have decided to vote for Malta in this election. This group is facing the toughest decision of all.

They feel betrayed by Muscat. They don’t recognise their own party anymore. Meeting these people in the privacy of their homes was a true privilege and eye-opener.

These PL supporters should never be counted as Nationalists. Their decision to switch is purely based on the love for their country and the love for their party. They know that the only hope for Labour to rebuild itself into a respectable party is for it to actually lose this election and clean itself up.

Finally there are those PN voters who are still not happy with the PN. Like all my fellow candidates, I am chasing these voters to persuade them to do the right thing and choose Malta.

Their anger may be at the last PN government or at a particular former PN Minister. Possibly the anger may be at a current candidate. My appeal to these voters is for them to choose wisely.

Our system allows these voters to select the candidates they want and leave out the candidates they do not want. With the Partit Demokratiku as part of Forza Nazzjonali, they can also choose to vote for the candidates in the blue box marked “tal-Orangjo.” These voters have several options in hand which can bring about change.

I would also like to take this opportunity to appeal to the voters of the 8th and 12th District (B’Kara, Balzan, Lija, Iklin, Naxxar, San Pawl and Mellieha), where I am a candidate. I have been knocking on doors morning, noon and night but I cannot say that I have covered the two districts. Far from it.

Why? My one-year plan to cover many areas I have not yet visited had to turn, suddenly, into a 1-month plan. I therefore apologise to all those who would have liked to meet me but did not manage.

My strong appeal goes to the residents of the 12th District (Naxxar, San Pawl, Mellieha) to give their number one vote to Simon Busuttil. He has worked so hard to clean up the mess brought about by Joseph Muscat.

Simon deserves our number one vote; he deserves our full support. If we are aspiring to have Simon Busuttil as our next Prime Minister, he must be backed with an outstanding show of number one votes in his name.

A final word to Labour supporters. The Forza Nazzjonali election campaign has not been against you. Nor against your party. The Torca flag has been waved in debates on the Forza Nazzjonali side and at Forza Nazzjonali mass meetings.

No, the campaign has been against the small group of very corrupt people who have hijacked your party and the country.

My appeal to you is simple. Vote in accordance with your conscience. You will not betray your country if you vote with your conscience. But you will betray yourself if you don’t.

Meanwhile, the campaign conducted on the ground by the Muscat machine has been very, very dirty.

From false information – pretending to be from the PN – to psychological violence inflicted on at least one elderly lady, when someone phoned her pretending to be Simon Busuttil and proceeded to shout at her and threaten to cut her pension. My blood boils when I think that poor vulnerable lady could have been my mother.

And corrupt practices galore. From oranges, wine and hot-cross buns offered by candidates to voters… to promised promotions across several pay grades and promotions for a quarter of the Armed Forces. And much, much more.

Our country deserves better. You deserve better.

That’s why I Choose Malta.