It was to be expected that the last few days of the election campaign would have turned out to be occasions when the political parties tried their best to win over the last few undecided voters in a bid to win Saturday’s election.

But rather than concentrate on planning ahead, presenting policies for a better future and trying to explain how they intend working if they are elected, the mudslinging campaign has continued to dominate the scenario.

The “scandals” revealed and counter-revealed last Saturday – to make it in time for the Sunday newspapers on the last Sunday before the election is held – have put the “future” on the back burner at a time when it is this future that needs to be discussed.

Of course, political parties have every right to come up with the strategy which they think is the one that gives them the better chance to win an election. But, on the other hand, a political party that constantly resorts to a strategy of mudslinging gives the impression that it wants to win because of faults in the other party, not because it has the better ideas.

Allegations of corruption do tend to influence voters one way or the other. It is often said that the more mud that is thrown, the better the chance that some of it will stick. But at the end of the day people will also consider other factors before they make up their mind whom to vote for on Saturday.

They will be considering the proposals that have been put forward by the political parties in their election manifesto.

Will they be better off with what the PN is proposing – a reduction in the income tax which would leave more money in people’s pockets and which, in turn, will continue to generate business? Or will the halving of the surcharge tip the balance in Labour’s favour?

Will the people vote to have their children stay an extra year in school with the reception class that the MLP is proposing? Or will they choose a party that, when in government, opened up the University to all those who wanted to go there and also reopened the Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology for other students with different skills?

The track record of the leaders of the two main political parties will also be taken into consideration. Are the people better off today after four years with Lawrence Gonzi as Prime Minister, or were they better off when Alfred Sant was Prime Minister between 1996 and 1998?

The people will also monitor what went on throughout the last five weeks of election campaigning – which is the party that is forward-looking, which has the better ideas to lead the country in the difficult years ahead and which party can be trusted to deliver all that it is promising.

Most of all, the people will take into account what the parties are proposing and how they are proposing to get there. It is easy to dish out promises, but it is far more difficult to fulfil them. And fulfil them without causing problems elsewhere.

Mudslinging is part and parcel of politics, and most of all in a country like Malta where it is difficult to keep secrets. Corruption has existed since the start of humanity and there is no way that it can be completely eliminated. No government – and by this we do not only mean ministers, but also officials under their responsibility – has been spotlessly clean in this regard and no government ever will.

But at the end of the day the people should be voting for a government that gives them peace of mind, that allows them to grow, prosper and live a good life, that generates enough jobs to replace those that are lost, a government that knows where it is going and how to get there.