As a person totally convinced that the only solution for a better future for this country lies in electing to government the Malta Labour Party, I have been alarmed recently with the way many people are already taking it for granted that the outcome of the next general election is a foregone conclusion. Indeed, some are already stating what they immediately expect from the new Labour government, almost as if Alfred Sant was already safely installed at Castille. I sincerely appeal to all those who wish to see Labour in government to avoid the trap of over-confidence, which could be fatal to Labour's chances of winning the next general election.

Let me start with local council elections. One has to make a clear distinction between these and the general election. Many pro-Nationalist supporters who do not vote in such elections will surely vote for the PN at the next general election. Not voting at the local council elections is simply a way of telling the government to improve its performance. It does not signify switching one's political allegiance to another political party as many mistakenly interpret such an action. When it comes to the crunch, many such non-voters will be the first at the polling booths to give the PN their confidence through their vote.

One must also remember one important statistic that the majority of Maltese are unaware of: In the 2003 general election, the MLP actually increased its percentage of first-count votes, from 46.97 per cent in 1998 to 47.51 per cent in 2003. Yet, the PN still won handsomely with 146,172 first-count votes, compared to the MLP's 134,092 first-count votes.

Another factor that some people are not considering is the fact that PN supporters can show their disapproval of certain government actions by not voting for the minister/s or parliamentary secretary/ies involved but still vote for the PN. This has already happened in 2003 when a couple of well-known heavyweights did not make it to Parliament but with the PN still winning by a very comfortable margin.

One should not be taken in by the fact that many PN supporters are grumbling against the government on a daily basis. Grumbling is a Maltese characteristic. Not voting or voting for the main opposing political party is a totally different matter.

One also has to take into consideration the fact that some disillusioned PN supporters will be voting for Alternattiva Demokratika this time around but the number could be insignificant.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister, Lawrence Gonzi, has the prerogative of deciding when to call the general election. This is a great advantage for the PN. It means the leader of the PN in government can prepare his party's electoral strategy to perfection, knowing the date of the general election beforehand. Add to this the fact that this government makes no distinction between political party and government and you can rest assured that the whole state apparatus will be used to further the PN's interests. Expect the acceding to of all the citizens' requests where possible, as well as several unnecessary ribbon-cutting ceremonies and receptions as evidence of government successes. These are bound to have an effect on the voting preferences of undecided voters.

Then, of course, one should not forget the PN media and its allies. Some political commentators are making the mistake of insisting that since the European Union membership issue has now been settled, the PN no longer has a grand cause around which to rally people. Unfortunately, they tend to forget that in the years before the 2003 general election, the Maltese people were regarded as among the most Eurosceptic.

However, a cleverly-engineered promotional campaign brought about a comfortable PN victory in 2003. People voted PN because they were convinced by the PN media and its allies that this was best in the national interest. They did not wake up and simply decide to do so. They were persuaded to do so. That same media and its allies will still be around at the next general election, even more experienced now.

One should also not discount the fact that the PN general secretary, Joe Saliba, has already publicly declared that his job will be getting people to leave their homes and vote PN. Have you got any idea of the pressure the PN will be putting on seemingly recalcitrant voters? Appeals by the PN media, telephone calls from PN headquarters, even PN canvassers knocking on one's door! Some people will succumb to such pressures and perhaps feel forced to follow what their better judgment tells them is the wrong course of action. One may retort by arguing that such people can still cancel their vote and nobody will ever know. Yes, I do feel that many of these people, almost forced to go out and vote for the PN, will get their revenge in this manner but the actual number who will do so remains a matter of conjecture. Nothing can be taken for granted.

To conclude, given the Nationalist government's abysmal record in government, the MLP will win the next general election.

The MLP has an extremely capable leader, Dr Sant, and an excellent team of high-calibre candidates. It is also totally prepared for government, having prepared policy documents on all areas of the country's administration, with fresh ideas on how to tackle the country's problems.

However, contrary to what some people are thinking, the next general election will be a hard-fought one and not a walkover.

Which means that all those who wish a better future for our country should go out and vote MLP.

Some floating voters might be tempted to reason that simply not voting will still mean an MLP victory, anyway. Such reasoning could be fatal for the future of our country.

This coming general election, every vote will count! Vote Labour.