The 7 January of this year will be remembered as the day when Parliament is officially dissolved and the election campaign starts.
Ever since the House of Representatives voted against the budget for 2013 after Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had delivered his address on 10 December, today has been marked on our diaries as the time when both political parties end their Christmas truce and start battling it out until the people vote on 9 March.
It’s not that the political situation has taken the back burner over Yuletide. Both political parties have refrained from organizing mass activities, but they both had their share of exchanges. Both Dr Gonzi and Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat did not hold back from passing political hints even in their messages give during Christmas and New Year week.
The people expect a mature discussion on the issues that are in hand. We do hope that neither party resorts to personal attacks or gimmicks, even though this is somewhat idealistic. What we do want to see is a healthy debate on the way forward, and then let the people decide.
The PN’s election manifesto will be largely based on the three main issues that it has been focusing on in the last months – employment, education and health. But the PN must be clear in the proposals it will make for the next five years. Its track record has been good in these three sectors, but it is not only these three sectors that exist.
The Labour Party has been quiet on what its intentions are, and it has always kept its cards close to its chest. Each time it was asked to say something about its intentions, its answer was for people to wait. In doing so, it has raised expectations sky-high, and the PL must now deliver. The time has come for it to reveal what it has in mind, how it will tackle the challenges that the country is facing today. It is hoped that the PL will not be vague in its propositions, but will give a concrete explanation on how it intends to take the country forward.
The election campaign will be long – longer than usual – and tough. It will be fought on the billboards, on the social media, in the traditional media and in the mass activities the parties will hold. It will also be fought in the debates that will be held between the protagonists, largely the two leaders and also the two deputy leaders. Their recent election as seconds-in command gives them an important place in the run-up, and it is clear that both parties will use them to the full to pass on the message.
Parliament will be dissolved today. Let us all hope that it will not signify the start of a political war, but of a political debate aimed at giving the country the future it deserves.