On March 8, 2003, the Maltese voted in a referendum on whether we should join the European Union. The Labour Party, under the leadership of Alfred Sant, rejected the results, even though 53.6 voted in favour of joining the EU. Eddie Fenech Adami called a snap election for April 12 to determine once for all whether we should join the EU. It was a risk that Dr Fenech Adami felt was worth taking.

Many Labour voters who were in favour of Malta joining the EU were now in a dilemma. They were Labourites through and through but voting for Labour or abstaining meant that the chance of joining the EU would be lost. The only road left for them was to vote for the Nationalist Party, and many of them did just that.

Today we seem to be in the same situation but for different reasons. A snap election has been called for June 3. People are doubting the autonomy of institutions that are supposed to be accountable and protect us citizens. Serious allegations of corruption have been levelled against some people in government. There is an urgent need for eliminating corruption once and for all.

The only way possible is for opposing forces to unite in a common front. This is the reason why the PN and Democratic Party have joined forces. Unfortunately Alternattiva Demokratika, though highlighting the problem of corruption, did not manage to reach an agreement and join the united front.

Disgruntled Labourites who are not pleased with the way some members of their party in government are running the country find themselves in the same dilemma they were in in 2003. They want to eradicate corruption once and for all and the only way possible, at this point in time, is to vote for candidates of the PN or the PD.

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