2008-03-07 18:44:50 -
VALLETTA, Malta (AP) - Malta holds parliamentary elections this weekend after a hard-fought campaign rife with accusations of corruption and dominated by one issue: whether this tiny island wants change after two decades of nearly uninterrupted rule by the same party.
Saturday's vote is the first since Malta joined the European Union in 2004 and
the euro zone earlier this year.
In keeping with the tradition of a nation where all is quiet except politics, this campaign has been a fierce battle featuring corruption charges, libel suits and even a last-minute arrest warrant for a party leader.
The election pits Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi of the ruling Nationalist Party against Labor Party leader Alfred Sant.
When the Mediterranean island last voted, in 2003, the two parties fought about whether Malta should join Europe. The Nationalists, eventual winners, pushed for EU membership and the socialists were opposed.
Now, with Malta's place in Europe secured and with a steady economy based on tourism and anchored on the euro, most of the election campaign has focused on domestic issues: anti-corruption measures, good governance, health care and the environment.
The big question facing the island's 315,000 voters _ 78 percent of a population of 400,000 _ is whether they believe it is time to give somebody else a chance.
The former British colony has been run by the Nationalist Party since 1987, with the exception of 22 months between 1996 and 1998 when the Labor Party was in power and Sant was the prime minister.
«Some people say: 'Well, there is the problem of the same government, but is the opposition better?»' said political analyst James Debono. «Labor is more convincing on the count of corruption, while on issues like job creation, health care the Nationalist Party is more convincing.
The Nationalist Party has focused its campaign largely on Gonzi, 54, who has a reputation for charisma and charm. He has proposed tax cuts that he said would benefit the middle class, and has taken on environment issues.
Sant, 60, has campaigned aggressively on charges of corruption against the Nationalist Party and the government. A couple of state offices have been tainted by corruption scandals, and Sant promises better governance and more transparency if he is elected.
Two smaller parties are also running _ the far-right National Action and the Green Party.
Maltese news reports say Green leader Harry Vassallo received an arrest warrant Wednesday in a case concerning Value Added Tax returns. He denies any wrongdoing and questioned the timing of the arrest warrant.
Sixty-five seats are at stake. In the 2003 vote, the Nationalists won 34 and Labor took 31.
In a sign that this isolated nation between Sicily and North Africa is modernizing itself, the election has also been billed as Malta's first Internet-age election, as candidates, especially Gonzi, turned to Internet sites, YouTube and social network Facebook to reach younger voters.
George Cini in Valletta, Malta, contributed to this report.
