A recent EU barometer survey noted that the Maltese willingness to vote in national elections has dropped to around 65 per cent of the voting population. It is quite close to the lower end of the general European attitudes. Most countries are in the 75-85 per cent level.

Malta has traditionally been up in the 95 per cent level throughout all the parliamentary democratic period of its history.

Since we have had, except for the first years of the 20th century, a two-party system, the issues at stake were black and white – red or blue. It was a very serious matter to vote since there was so much at stake in each election.

However, in recent elections since 2008, the number of voters who elected to vote grew smaller and smaller each time. More and more citizens were granted the right to vote when the voting age was reduced to 16 and, yet, instead of 90-95 per cent of the eligible voters, fewer electors turned out at the polling stations.

It’s true that Malta has a very antiquated system of voting where postal votes, voting at embassies abroad or other votes by proxy are forbidden. Everybody has to go to a polling station come rain or high water; has to be carried there if sick or aged. Votes can only be cast if a voting document is delivered at home to the actual voter or to a person authorised by the voter to accept the voting document on his or her behalf.

At the last election, over 40,000 persons failed or declined to vote: the governing party, which had been in office and which sent out electoral bribes in the form of pre-election cheques to citizens, spawned a greater majority than would normally be the case.

Apart from the cheques that had been sent out, the abstention by 40,000 electors in a country of 323,000 voting population is alarming. If, now,  only 68 per cent intend to vote in the coming election, this would mean that, of the 323,000 entitled to vote, only 220,000 will actually cast their vote and 103,000 will stay away.

This is a very serious matter. Yet, it may also be a unique opportunity for much-needed change. It is, nonetheless, imparting a critical message. If over a third of the population is disgruntled with the parties running for election, there must be reasons for this.

There are certainly many reasons. One might be the failure to attract voters by one party whose programme is too similar to that of the governing party. Could it be that corruption, nepotism and the oligarchic behaviour of the financers of the ruling party angered and disgusted many voters of both parties?

What about the culture of impunity and unfulfilled electoral promises as well as the failure to protect the environment or to deal with the traffic problem and climate change?

I am confident that a good proportion of the 103,000 reluctant voters would be willing to cast its vote for the new Ethical Party- John Vassallo

Or overbuilding by the construction industry that is given a free hand to build on ODZ land and destroy old village streetscapes? And a failure to collect taxes and to charge tax avoiders?

What can be done about this unpleasant situation since the majority of the country will be run by a section of the population numbering around 37 per cent ( that is, 55 per cent being the PL majority of voters with only 68 per cent of the eligible population actually voting).

It may be time for the 103,000 persons electing not to vote in future elections to be offered an alternative.

Possibly a new party emerging from the University of Malta and MCAST offering a new programme based on honesty, accountability, transparency, environmental protection and Maltese cultural identity.

And proposing an economic model that would change Malta from ‘a tax haven with mass tourism’ to ‘a country of digital services, five-star tourism’ and would strictly enforce environmental protection controls.

I am confident that a good proportion of the 103,000 reluctant voters would be willing to cast its vote for the new Ethical Party ‘EP’.

The students would need to be strengthened by some elders from the existing parties who are unhappy with the degradation of Malta and with the loss of esprit of the PL as well as the loss of hope from the PN.

I suggest that the leaders of representative bodies from the University of Malta and MCAST and some elders willing to help with the formulation of a new economic model, a new environmental programme and a new security and policing regulation start to meet and  hold brainstorming sessions at the University of Malta to launch the new Ethical Party.

Even if the EP only garner 50,000 votes – just half of the disgruntled voters from all sides of the political spectrum, this would be a large enough party to balance the other two and to become the kingmaker deciding with which of the two larger parties to form a coalition.

Thus, Malta will regain its 85-95 per cent proportion of voting electorate and will restore a cleaner and more transparent coalition government which restrains any underlying, subliminal form of prime ministerial dictatorial rule.

John Vassallo is a former ambassador to the EU.