This election campaign, which draws to a close in less than five days’ time, has been a long and tiring one. It has pitted the parties against each other in a drawn out debate where the leaders have fought for every inch of political ground in the quest for the people’s approval next Saturday.

The campaign has had its highs and lows. The first weeks were characterised by a series of proposal presentations, some more realistic than others. Unfortunately, over the last couple of weeks the real political debate has somewhat digressed into a non-stop character assassination. The inevitable dogs of war in each political camp have bared their fangs with the inevitable consequences.

This, I believe has left precious little space to argue and debate the actual direction this country will take come Monday morning. Although some would rather pontificate and wash their hands of any guilt, I would say it has been one continuous tit for tat when it came to accusations and mud slinging.

In essence much of the better proposals have converged across party lines although with slight or minimal deviations. The Nationalist Party proposals, along with some of Labour’s, are in a positive general direction. The preservation and creation of jobs, the promise of support for those who wish to study, those who wish to re-train and re-enter the labour market and more fantastic opportunities for women to fully participate in the nation’s economic reality.

There is a consensus that ours must continue to be a knowledge-based society where the skills of our citizens are the best tool to create wealth and prosperity. This heightened economic activity will in turn trickle down and truly support the myriad services my party in government has established over the years.

Yet there is a nagging feeling that this apparent convergence does not feel quite right and I will explain why. My party has a proven track record. This does by no means translate into a divine right to govern. Far from it. Yet when one has to choose one must inevitably compare and contrast records and past achievements that truly stand out in the final analysis.

At this point in time the electorate has one simple choice. Should the country continue to be managed by the steady and experienced hand of Lawrence Gonzi, or should the electorate decide for a clean cut that could and would translate into a completely new direction? I am not quite sure what Joseph Muscat means by a new direction. At one point he clearly states that much that has been done during these five years are worth keeping yet at the same time he proposes to snap this continuity with a ‘new beginning’.

This insistent pandering from the Labour camp raises many suspicions and it is up to the electorate to make up its mind about the genuineness of Muscat’s arguments. Political expediency has been the anchor of the Labour Party’s media campaign in the past four years. Spurred on by Joseph Muscat’s ambition to become Prime Minister, the new political movement within the Labour Party has relentlessly tried to appeal to non-traditional voters, at times even delivering impossible and ambivalent promises to special interest groups. This continues up till now.

This brings me to the new power station proposal. For years PL has promised us lower electricity tariffs. For years we have waited for the ultimate solution. Out of the blue and with great fanfare Labour made a fait accompli proposal that will saddle our country with a power station we do not need. In less than a year Malta will enjoy an interconnector that will supply Malta with clean and cheaper energy.

Over and over again it has been pointed out that Malta’s supply of energy is more than adequate. Over and over again experts have questioned the over optimistic projections and the commercial viability of the elephantine project. Sadly, the essence of this proposal has been smeared by the oil procurement scandal. We no longer scrutinise the details of this proposal, alas to our own detriment. Was this a pre-meditated move?

When all is said and done, the electorate’s choice this coming Saturday will determine the choice of leadership for this country for the next five years.  One simple act of voting will see us all handing power to a Prime Minister to govern for the next five years. One hopes that common sense will prevail for the good of our country.

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PN General Election candidate IV and VI districts