Unity though not necessarily uniformity

I am a suitable candidate for the EP elections because my first hand experience of the EU, as a result of my direct involvement since 1987. I can give a voice to certain groups and individuals that would otherwise not necessarily fall within the parameters of the policies of the major political parties.

My priorities concern tourism and the conservation of our islands' natural environment including culture and tradition, such as hunting and trapping.

I have over 30 years first hand experience within the incoming tourism industry.

I have been the secretary of the Federation for Hunting & Conservation - Malta (FKNK) for 20 years, which is fully supportive of my candidature and whose members I can't thank enough. I have also been a board member of the Brussels-based EU lobby the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU (Face) since 1987. Face's main aim is the conservation of the natural resources in the EU member states.

I have observed EU Parliament sessions in Strasbourg and participated in Hunting, Fishing & Conservation Inter-Group meetings for MEPs.

I am one of FKNK's representatives on the Ornis Committee - Malta that was set up as a requisite of the EU Commission.

I am very much aware of, even though I do not necessarily understand, the local passions of my fellow citizens towards partisan politics in Malta. One is either born blue or red.

I do not believe that the interests of tourism and our natural environment, including the healthy traditional passions of hunting and trapping, should "belong" to one colour or other.

The Green Party candidate has been at his usual extremist and abolitionist best behaviour in his base attempt to capture votes, even promising that were he to be elected to the EP the first thing he would do will be to remove the EU Birds Directive derogation by means of which Maltese and Gozitan sportsmen are still in a position to pursue their traditional hunting and trapping passions locally.

Unlike divorce, abortion, tourism, taxation, etc. hunting abolition is not part of the Green Party programme; it only emanates from antagonism practised by a few individuals within Alternattiva Demokratika. (In fact, I know of Green Party MEPs who are keen hunters and proudly so).

The application of a derogation depends on the Maltese government and it is not up to the EP to decide whether Malta should do so or not. Given that we have never had the Maltese Green Party in government, and it is very unlikely that we ever will, the Green candidate has no hope to ever remove the derogation.

The Greens' candidate should not be so pleased that he may be attracting protest votes. These votes are for all the wrong reasons.

Partisan politics should never have been the order of the day in these EP elections and independent candidates should have been allowed their rightful breathing space. Sadly this was not to be.

Both major parties' media sources stayed away from any of my campaign's activities.

I have been branded a Nationalist by the MLP and a Labour supporter by the PN. They both insinuate that if I were to be elected I would then join "my" party, whichever that may be. I have officially declared, and I shall repeat it, that were I to be elected to the EP I will not join any of the two parties.

My supporters have been told, time and again, by both parties' officials that as a single independent individual I cannot achieve much - I can only remind them of Pat Cox.

It has also been said that I am doing this for the money I shall be pocketing once I get elected to the EP. I have also declared that if I am elected to the EP I shall donate half my MEP salary to the association that is fully backing my candidacy, the FKNK.

The people's sovereign right to vote should be exercised in the secrecy and serenity of the voting booths. Everyone should vote in the best interests of the Maltese and Gozitan people and for our future generations.

Finally, I have a strong suspicion that at today's mass meetings by the political parties, following which no one will have any right to reply because of legal provisions, the subject of hunting and trapping and what each party's candidates will do to safeguard these traditions will be raised.

To this I can only say that I am definitely the only candidate so qualified, besides having been the FKNK's spokesman in this regard, always transmitting and documenting "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth" and no one has ever denied anything I have said.

Everyone should be wary of any final political spins.

Mr Farrugia is an independent candidate for the European Parliament elections.