Tomorrow week there will be another round of local council elections. The end of another mini-campaign by the PN, MLP and AD is in sight. The incumbent councillors, in each of the localities where elections are being held, have made a special effort to project themselves as being the best choice for the electorate. It is expected that most of the local councils will retain their present composition though it is evident that the MLP is doing its utmost to swing a couple of seats, as to gain the majority, in Mosta, Safi and Munxar.

Whether they succeed or not depends mostly on the electorate.

Labour’s chances lie with the fact that part of the Nationalist electorate does not bother to vote in local elections – though wooed to vote, they are still afforded the freedom of choosing as to whether to vote or not. On the other hand, the local MLP party machines will be in full swing to ensure that every MLP sympathiser will go to the polls. The MLP undertake this sort of action even at this level.

All in all, it is true that this electoral exercise means a lot to each locality. In the final analysis it transpires that a special effort is made by all to garner votes in the months preceding the elections. Besides the normal agenda/activity during the three years, infrastructural works such as streets which may have remained on the ADT pending works’ list are taken up and attended to. The locality itself is given a sprucing up. Also, where possible, as one would expect, the constituents’ whims are addressed as quite a number of residents try to cash in on their vote. Unfortunately, most of such complaints do not depend on the local councillors – and at times not even on the national government or MPs.

At the end of the day, the vast majority of those who make the effort to go to the polls will vote in accordance with their political beliefs, although there is still room for some personal votes which can in reality make all the difference as to which party will hold the majority during the next three years.

The three political party leaders have been on the road. Their individual commitment varies depending on their circumstances

The Prime Minister has a higher and very important agenda to address; he is at the helm of the nation’s government which leaves him with very little time for local election campaigning. However his effort and attendance at most localities are a witness to his total commitment in the political field at every level. For Dr Gonzi, efficient time management is a must.

In the past three years, we have had the opportunity to see him in action. He is 100 per cent committed, keeping his eyes and ears wide open to capture the mood at all levels. He knows that what may seem of little importance, if not trivial, may mean the world for the individual.

When one has the burden of administration, he must choose in favour of the common good and the better livelihood of the country. Like all politicians, he would like to see everyone being satisfied with respect to any claim or query that might arise. But there are times when this is not possible. This happens when decisions have to be taken that are determined by the good of the many and the nation as a whole.

Perhaps, in the short term, doing away with the surcharge on water and electricity seems to be the common demand of the day – but in the long run, where would this put the country’s finances? Though we tend to complain and criticise, most of us support the Prime Minister in addressing such problems now rather than tackling them later on, risking falling behind and then being forced to introduce desperate measures to come to terms with the ensuing unsustainable situation. Obviously these decisions do carry a price tag.

If you are standing on the opposition’s side of the fence, these decisions are not your responsibility to take and you can afford to make vote-catching statements, which however when seriously considered on a national level, leave a lot to be desired. To this end, the Opposition Leader has held back and even refused to participate in the various challenges made to him in the political sphere, e.g. pensions’ reform.

At the same time, Dr Sant is not too busy. There is a good government and this leaves him a lot of free time. He enjoys his free time concocting fanciful ideas and spreading his wings across the localities where elections are being held. This gives him the possibility of earning air-time as well as making him look busy, fresh and in tune. How far he is well-briefed and on the ball is another matter.

I guess he enjoys making a mini-campaign on a yearly basis out of the local council elections. He has the advantage of being able to criticise without having to pay the price if things do not go his way.

He returns, year after year, to his antics by giving high score points to his faithful and damning the operation and commitment of those councils which do not have a Labour majority. He is known to allot percentages in the 90s to those councils in his good books while points ranging between 40 and 60 per cent are not uncommon when it comes to his analysis of the operation of Nationalist-majority councils. Then again, as is the case with much that Dr Sant does, this is now a stale joke which he persists in repeating year after year. Maybe his hard-core followers like it. On the other hand, the majority just snigger at his remarks.

Third in line is Alternattiva Demokratika. This party, year after year, promises a utopia which only exists in the land of Never Never.

I believe that AD activists could act as a good pressure group but then that’s it.

At the local level, it has had some limited success where it has managed to make something out of issues which it takes up with vigour and prominence every so often.

The true analysis of the situation is that once again, it was a Nationalist government that set up local councils.

All in all, local councils brought about a much happier and efficient situation in the various localities, than that existing prior to 1992.

Now it’s time for you to vote.

Tony Abela is parliamentary secretary in the office of the Prime Minister