Thoughts for Saturday

We are almost there. Just days before casting one of our most important votes ever. But do not be misled by what the polls say or what people say. Not a single vote has yet been cast. The first vote cannot be cast before 7 a.m. on Saturday. And till then, there is a result still to shape. Let me share with you some thoughts for Saturday.

Every single vote counts. This will sound like a platitude. But it is useless being a yes or a no without actually casting a vote and a valid one at that. Only the yeses and nos validly cast will count. This is what happens in all referenda throughout the world. Those who abstain or spoil their vote will only be letting others decide for them.

Nothing is certain except doubt. Even though most people you speak to have made up their mind, there are still thousands that keep doubting. These are the people that will make the difference between a clear result and the uncertainty that will follow a fudged verdict.

Convince a doubter. Let us all make an effort to convince a doubter till Saturday at 10 p.m. Make sure everyone understands how crucial this vote is. Explain the magnitude of this step - being one of the 10 countries that are to join the European Union on May 1, 2004, or not. This is the question we will find on the ballot paper on Saturday. Nothing else. In or out.

We are in this together. We will mark our vote alone on Saturday in the privacy of a polling booth. But we will all enjoy its benefits or suffer its consequences together. Let us all understand that the responsibility we have on Saturday is not just towards ourselves or towards our family but towards a whole country and generations to come.

The only poll is on Saturday. No one knows what the result of this referendum will be. Some organisations phone up 300 people at random and come up with a prediction. But that is based only on what those 300 people have said. Remember... only 300 and only what they have said. Nobody knows what they will actually do on Saturday. Sometimes not even themselves!

We need a clear result. This is a momentous decision that requires an unambiguous verdict. Next Monday, we cannot have two camps that have both won, as usually happens in Malta. One camp has to win and the other, unfortunate as it may be, has to lose. We have to make sure that there will be no doubt as to how this result is to be interpreted.

The result must be accepted by all. Most of Europe will have its eyes on us next Saturday and Sunday. All of us have to show that we are truly jealous of our democracy - casting our vote and accepting the result whether we agree with it or not. When we squabble about local council results, it is our own affair. Squabbling about the interpretation of such an important decision will damage Malta's credibility for years to come.

This is a national vote not a party vote. This is not a general election. We might soon have one, but not on Saturday. We expect our political leaders to understand the difference. We expect them to do so both in the run-up to the vote and in its aftermath. And even though we might have cause to celebrate, let us do it in a non-partisan way, if at all.

Let us all understand what is at stake. A future. Whether we want to be at the heart of Europe or not. We all agree that the European Union has been successful and has brought peace, solidarity and prosperity in our continent. We all agree that the EU is a positive force for the environment and for our rights. Do we want to join a Union that everybody accepts has been a success?

Think about the morrow. Before voting on Saturday, think about Sunday and Monday.

First imagine a no result. A majority has cast a no vote. Till Saturday at 10 p.m. that is still possible! Malta out of the EU. Another 10 years or more of uncertainty. Seeing another nine countries, and then another three or four, join and compete with us for investment, trade and jobs. Seeing Lm81 million for our roads and our environment evaporate.

Then imagine a yes. Taking our rightful place in a Europe of prosperity and solidarity. The certainty that encourages investment and the creation of wealth and jobs. Being the first to definitely say yes, we would be the first on the list of companies that want to invest in this 500 million strong European market. Getting Lm81 million for our environment with even more to come after the first three years.

A new spring for Malta. This is our European future. But it cannot happen without your vote!