Since broadcasting was liberalised in the early 1990s, the two main political parties acquired their own TV and radio stations. This development had obvious advantages and disadvantages.

I dare say that only a few other countries in the world, if any at all, are in this situation.

My suggestion is that during the last three weeks of the election campaign, the Broadcasting Authority, the Electoral Commission and the political parties transmit the official programmes organised and run by the Broadcasting Authority on all TV and radio stations at the same time and not only on PBS.

This will have one big advantage: that, for two hours a day for a period of three weeks, all voters will have the opportunity to listen to the same debates, the same press conferences, the same programmes presented by the political parties under the auspices of the Broadcasting Authority.

This would help to make the electorate politically aware.

As things stand, while a Broadcasting Authority political programme is being aired on TVM, the other channels – including, absurdly enough, TVM2 – show other political programmes.

One has to admit that the Maltese electorate is being bombarded with programmes of a political nature, which is not the case in Italy, where an election campaign is also under way.

I believe my suggestion does not diminish freedom of expression but, on the contrary, helps the electorate, through this daily two-hour programme in the last three weeks, understand better what is what, which is which, and who is who. It can be repeated, say, at lunchtime or in the morning, so that more viewers and listeners can be reached.