The best informants close to the Nationalist Party leadership are trying hard to rein in the pre-announcement enthusiasm but this was rather hard to do yesterday with blue-coloured stands for billboards going up everywhere and all signs of an impending announcement of a general election.

It seems clear that Parliament will not be dissolved before it ratifies the Lisbon Treaty, but this is happening on Tuesday anyway so after Wednesday any day is as good as any.

But people who claim they are in the know are saying Prime Minister Gonzi will announce the date of the next election tomorrow week when Parliament is dissolved.

As to the date of the election, the safest bets are still on 8 March, insiders say.