Come 13 March, the present administration will have been three years in office; and well past half the legislature!

It was an interesting and eventful period; never dull and at times quite agitated. The change was more than cosmetic, well justified and served well.

Over this period, I expected the PN to organise a more credible opposition in preparation for the forthcoming challenge, particularly by putting forward exponents who show and prove to the populace that they form a coherent force under strong leadership, which proposes to be a truly alternative government in the near future.

On the other hand, I wished to see the Neo-Capitalist pattern as adopted and applied by the previous administration grossly reduced in importance. However, I'm inclined to think that this general lack of resolve on the Muscat government's part is a result of the general policies as dictated by the radically rotten example promoted by the US and emulated here in Europe. On another level, the Prime Minister more than adequately survived several storms that blew up in his Cabinet, with dismissals and reshuffles which seems to have strengthened his hand.

Nonetheless, there exists within the populace a general discontent with our body politic as it stands, with rumours of scandals, corruption, embezzlement, incompetence and other shady activities on the border-line of legality. Such a situation cannot be ignored for long; it calls for an immediate and adequate analysis at the highest national level that will produce a solution. 

My challenge and proposal today, which will undeniably bear out this general discontent and delusion, is to have included at the bottom of the ballot paper after the list of hopefuls, a clear and adequate provision (a box to tick) stating "None of These". With such a provision in our Law, we'll have a better marker than the present, which is not truly an indicative percentage of disenchanted people, who, with a clear conscience, wilfully register their discontent by writing something well on the mark, albeit vulgar or, quite simply refuse to turn up at the polls.

Once we start getting more reliable statistics, then and only then, can we hope to gradually improve the product! Something we all deserve, after decades of "independence"!?

Ramon Borg-Bartolo