Editorial

Two weeks on from the starting pistol, no one should be surprised that the election campaign is getting dirty. Some eyebrows will be raised sharply, however, with regards to the direction from which some of the major shots were fired. They did not come, as was expected, from either the Labour or Nationalist camps, but rather from the minor parties presenting themselves as credible alternatives.

Early in the week, Azzjoni Nazzjonali thought it wise to erect a billboard saying it would close the Balzan open centre for immigrants if it came to power. Since there is not the slightest chance of this party garnering enough votes to achieve the latter objective, the statement should be taken for what it is: a cheap and disgusting attempt to win a few extra votes by appealing to the most basic instinct in people's minds, ignorant fear.

Mgr Victor Zammit McKeon was correct when he publicly stated that he will no longer accept donations for his children's homes from the AN deputy leader, Anglu Xuereb, who was featured on the billboard. The priest is leading those whose care is entrusted to him by example. How could one group of children living in difficult circumstances not show solidarity to other children, just because their skin is a different colour and because they come from a different country? AN claims it is not racist. But actions speak louder than words.

Then, yesterday, a candidate from Alternativa Demokratika, which has stood firmly behind the principles of good governance, decided to publish a report by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority's audit officer into the granting of permission for the Marsascala waste recycling plant.

Not only did architect Carmel Cacopardo work as an assistant to the audit officer, which means that issues of breach of confidentiality arise, but, even worse, he is standing as a candidate in the very town which the report relates to.

His former boss, Joe Falzon, who had staunchly defended Mr Cacopardo last year when Mepa refused to renew his contract as an investigating officer, has gone on record as saying that the architect should not use a document he acquired due to his position for the sake of political expediency.

Mr Cacopardo has attempted to defend his actions by standing under the whisleblower umbrella. However, it is one that fails to unfurl when its very fabric has the word 'candidate' emblazoned upon it.

AD's leadership should have made the architect aware of this and prevented him from doing so, rather than watching on in passive, or rather active, acquiesence. It seems that the third party can talk the talk when it comes to acting correctly, but it seemingly has difficulty walking the walk.

In the meantime the MLP and PN have been trading blows on the main stage. Yet while the former have been spending most of their time putting up libellous - because there is so far a total absence of evidence to back up the allegation - posters saying 'corruption', Lawrence Gonzi has pulled the rug from under their feet: coming up with policy after policy that he will implement if he once again becomes Prime Minister.

And this is ultimately what people should take into account when they vote − who has the best policies, and who will best bring them about?