Diary of an election

March 10: Eddie Fenech Adami makes the widely expected announcement that the general election will be held on April 12. The only person not expecting it is Alfred Sant who he reacts by accusing the prime minister of having his back to the wall.

Just when you think things cannot get any worse, another electoral campaign begins.

March 11: The PN reacts to the Labour leader's promise of a fierce and intense electoral campaign by doing what he accused it so often of doing while it was in government - nothing - as it decides to give voters a few days' rest to recover from the hangover they incurred during their celebrations of referendum victory.

March 12: The Archbishop warns of rising tension, though he does not allude to any particular incident. By coincidence, there were a few fights on the day the referendum result was announced.

March 13: Dr Sant holds a press conference on education, refusing to take any questions that might "educate" the people about the referendum result. Crisis? What crisis? Partnership? What partnership? Futur ahjar -L-ewwel int (A better future - You come first).

March 14: Dr Sant tells his supporters to stay cool and calm. The Nationalists are still asleep. Dr Sant continues to refuse to answer questions. So what's new?

March 15: PN launches its electoral campaign. A poll by The Sunday Times shows that (only) 67 per cent disagree with the MLP's interpretation of the referendum result. British prime minister Tony Blair formally congratulates Dr Fenech Adami on the referendum result. Dr Sant insists "partnership" won and calls on the prime minister to respect the election result.

March 16: PM says election will cement people's verdict on membership. Dr Sant says MLP will respect election result. Some people wonder if they could both be wrong.

March 17: It is learnt by The Times that MLP executive approves the holding of a referendum if it comes to power between membership and "partnership" - even though they claim "partnership" has already won. A case of double jeopardy perhaps?

March 19: PM asks for forgiveness during a mass meeting for the party faithful who grant him instant absolution. Penance will be communicated to him in just over three weeks' time.

March 20: Dr Sant says "God forbid if Malta were to join the EU" while PM describes this election as extraordinary because the Maltese will again be voting for Europe. Oh, and coalition forces start a war with someone - Iraq, I think.

March 21: PM attends what could be his last EU summit in Brussels where Maltese reporters are told that the island will miss bus for very long time if Malta does not sign Accession Treaty. Dr Sant promises gender equality. War? What war?

March 24: "We'll get there when we get there." No, this was not George Bush reacting to criticism of the march on Baghdad but Dr Sant telling supporters how long it will take him to negotiate "partnership". PM does not think he will ever get there, Dr Sant that is, as he says MLP is in state of panic and disarray.

March 25: Broadcasting Authority bans the airing of two editions of Xarabank on the party manifestos because MLP refuses to take part. Bless them.

March 26: Nowhere near Christmas, but Dr Sant is promising tax exemptions to farmers and fishermen. PM lays down basic values of the manifesto, which unfortunately are so high that they do not include any tax cuts.

March 27: Dr Sant wants revision of HSBC's role in economy. Dr Fenech Adami wants revision of Labour leader's attitude to journalism. Arnold Cassola does not want revision of anything as he wins his case to vote.

March 29: I swear it is not Christmas: MLP promises a two-month tax break for everyone with earnings of less than Lm10,000 which it insists in no way contradicts manifesto pledge to manage public finances responsibly. John Dalli describes move as desperate attempt to buy people's votes with their own money. People are pleased to learn they still have some of their own money.

March 30: Dr Sant's tax proposal baffles constituted bodies who had been told for five years that state of economy was disastrous. PM wonders out loud: "How is he planning to pay for it?"

March 31: Dr Fenech Adami says vote for PN is a vote for Malta. The question on everybody's lips is: which half? Dr Sant says tax break will stimulate economy. The question on everyone's lips is: in which country?

April 1: Labour leader walks out of an interview with yours truly after 15 minutes. No comment. Dr Sant then launches attack on The Times at public meeting. He also cancels interview with The Malta Independent. Dom Mintoff warns of trouble if EU treaty is signed. The rest of the world thinks the war is in Iraq.

April 2: Bishops express concern at references to trouble but make no reference to Iraq.

April 3: Dr Sant turns down offer to debate PM on radio after raising objection to presence of RTK. Mr Mintoff launches scathing attack on The Times and suggests Archbishop should sue the newspaper too. For "faithful" reporting perhaps? The free press has never had it so good.

April 4: President speaks out against any threat of violence. Dr Sant announces there will be a Ministry for Gozo under an MLP administration after all. A U-turn? As if. Only the Gozo ferries do that.

April 5: Dr Sant agrees to take part in the radio debate after all, but still attacks the media. And Dr Fenech Adami attacks him in a heated two-hour discussion. In another change of heart - or did he mean it all along? - the Labour leader offers Lou Bondí an interview on Super One after persistent complaints that he is not answering questions; Dr Sant, that is, not Lou.

April 7: It is announced that Malta will receive another Lm9 million in funding from the EU. By Dr Sant's calculations that makes the total Lm10.5 million. By everyone else's it is Lm90 million. Labour leaders sign pact with the people but the people are not present.

April 9: A full-length interview with the PM appears in The Times. Seventy-five journalists, editors and columnists sign petition expressing concern about Dr Sant's attitude towards them. He is more concerned about their attitude towards him.

April 10: It's all over bar the shouting: no, not just the election campaign but the war with Iraq. The two leaders - not Mr Bush and Saddam Hussein - have a debate on television that ends with Dr Sant trying to shout down Dr Fenech Adami's concluding remarks with about as much success as Iraqi anti-aircraft missiles.

April 12: Voters turn out in thousands as the turnout exceeds 96 per cent. Cool and relaxed, in fact. Who said that?

April 13: Barely an hour after the count and PN are already claiming huge electoral victory which means the only pact people will be signing will be with the EU. At lunchtime, Dr Sant concedes defeat and says he will respect the result. And for this I respect him.