Still too early to say which party will win election

Michael Falzon, the deputy leader of the Malta Labour Party, believes that whatever the results of polls show, a party has to keep its feet and ears to the ground and, if an opinion poll is positive, strive to maintain the tempo.

"Polls are nothing but a snapshot of a moment in time and a positive poll is not necessarily a reflection that one can win an election. As the saying goes, a week is a long time in politics," he said.

Asked to comment about press reports of a recent MLP poll that found the party to be leading the Nationalist Party by some 14,000 votes, Dr Falzon said: "I hate to comment about something that I have not seen. Even when I led the MLP's electoral office between 1993 and 2003 I was not involved in polls, nor did I see any of them".

Asked about the 1998 election polls, he replied: "I did not see the famous poll of 1998 that supposedly showed the MLP would win. Six weeks before the election I had predicted we'd lose the election by 10,000 votes, and lose we did," he said.

"I had foretold the results of the elections of 1998 and 2003 six weeks before and would probably do the same this time round too. Though I feel Labour is ahead at the moment, it's too soon to say who'd win from now," he added.

Although every party conducted its own polls, the best polls were the elections. "All I can say is that the MLP has won all the recent electoral polls and it's fair to assume that the MLP is ahead of the PN," he said.

Conceding that results of local council elections would not necessarily be reflected in a general election, Dr Falzon believes they nevertheless show a trend.

"Elections are very complex. People may support a party on a particular policy and the other party on another".

Asked what he feels will be the major issues in the next general election, Dr Falzon said the overriding issue in the 2003 election was the EU. "The next election will be a different kettle of fish. Corruption, bad administration, the rising cost of living and aspects related to job security and a drop in purchasing power could be major issues that influence voters next time round."

Asked why he believed corruption would be an issue when the widespread corruption of the 1980s seemed to have little effect at the polls, Dr Falzon replied: "While everyone liked to bend the rules, there is a limit as to how much one can bend them. What is happening these days is far too widespread".

If he were Prime Minister, what would be his preferred date for the next general election?

"My choice would be February or March but I would definitely act like the Prime Minister is doing and keep all options open.

"I'd go for a February or March election because the sweeteners we will see in the budget would be felt by then, and there would still be the good feeling following Christmas. Dr Gonzi can ride on the fact that he led Malta into the eurozone, while the negative effects of the euro would not have kicked in by that time."

Asked to list what he sees as the winning points for the MLP, Dr Falzon said his party was closer to the people, it had valid ideas and was a forward-looking party. We also have a good track record, even when in government. We may have had 100 defects but we did a lot of good too," he said.

For Dr Falzon, the winning points for the PN are that for a long time it's been a winning party. "The PN knows how to play the game well and relies on the 'better the devil you know' campaign."

Any positive points for Alternattiva?

"I respect them but they are a pressure group more than a party."

Asked about the negative points, he feels the PN has been in power too long, it has become insensitive and arrogant and has presided over bad administrative practices.

The minuses of the MLP include the perception that it appears to be a negative party and that it has been in opposition for a long time, he said.