The four political parties contesting the March 8 general election are coming round the bend to the home stretch. The final countdown starts today and The Times will be recalling the main events that took place in the last 10 days preceding the 2003 general election.

April 3, 2003

US troops kilometres from Baghdad
"US forces smashed through elite Iraqi divisions to within 30 kilometres of Baghdad... using fearsome air power to back the swiftest advance of the war to oust President Saddam Hussein."

AD proposes lower taxation on income
"Alternattiva Demokratika is proposing a lighter tax burden on income and the economic initiative of the Maltese and Gozitans."

Labour leader sues The Times for libel
"Alfred Sant... sued The Times for libel over a letter published."

Call for emergency plan in education
"The benchmark of educational success has to be based on how schools in other countries are faring and not... comparing a school in one town with another school in another... (Labour) spokesman Evarist Bartolo said.

Sant files press ethics complaint
"Alfred Sant has written to The Malta Press Club's ethics commission chairman, Chief Justice Emeritus Giuseppe Mifsud Bonnici, complaining that journalistic ethics were breached in his regard through an interview (with) The Times."

PM challenges Sant on EU treaty decision
Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami... challenged... Alfred Sant to declare whether his decision not to sign the EU Accession Treaty... had the support of all the structures within his party."

MLP discuss election-time security with the police
"The Labour... leadership... met Police Commissioner John Rizzo and told him the police should do their utmost to ensure that calm and security prevailed during the final phase of the electoral campaign, election day, the counting of the votes and on the announcement of the election result."

Bishops' concern at references to 'trouble'
The bishops have appealed to everyone, particularly to people in influential positions, to ensure their words and behaviour would always foster the values of respect, peace and unity among the people.

'We don't want trouble' - Mintoff
"Dom Mintoff... said that his Maltese Arise Front, which had grown from around 100 members to a few thousand, did not want trouble."