March 9, 2013 will go down as a truly stupendous day of history in the political, social and economic annals of Malta and Gozo.

The general election, held in a truly democratic pattern, gave a massive victory to the Labour Party and the movement that has been created around and within it.

The Christian Democrats, as the Nationalist Party like to style themselves, were resoundingly thrashed.

March 12 being the subsequent first working day, the new Administration started its work without undue fuss, except for the natural joy of the victorious thousands who had been cheated out of representative office for a sliver for short of a quarter of a century.

The right-wing Christian Democrats could not stomach such a defeat and the clear message from the electorate sweeping them out of power. It is a matter of deep shame for the office of the outgoing Prime Minister to have deliberately allowed for the offices, rooms, desks, cabinets, drawers and equipment of the official address to be stripped of everything and anything, deriding and depriving the new Administration of a smooth transition.

The barbaric fact of history in 21st century Malta is shameful beyond words. Moreover, I am reliably informed that in the office proper of the Prime Minister somebody, deliberately, coerced or otherwise, had left a copy of the issue of the Economist, dated March 2-8, 2013, with the front page of the paper having printed in prominent red lettering, Send In The Clowns. An obvious insolent message.

This is the unspoken vocabulary of the Maltese Christian Democrats from the Opposition benches.

Shameful.