The latest electoral propaganda leaflet that is making the rounds in this electoral campaign for the forthcoming general election is a glossy brochure by far-right party Azzjoni Nazzjonali’s “Vici Kap” (aping the Nationalist Party’s nomenclature for the party posts) Anglu Xuereb. It is clear that the building contractor from Naxxar has no apparent budget problems and has therefore opted for the full works: an A4 four-page leaflet in full colour printed on glossy art paper with a professional layout throughout. On the front page there is a full picture of Xuereb wearing a jacket and tie in a formal pose with a restrained smile whatsoever on his face, as if to reflect the motto of his party, “Sovranità, Serjetà, Gustizzja” (“Sovereignty, Seriousness, Justice”). Sitting alongside the photo, which has a dark blue, white and dark red border, on his right-hand side there is the name “Anglu Xuereb” printed across the page in a large, stylish sans serif font. Opposite, on the right hand side of the first page, there is the address of Xuereb’s website (www.angluxuereb.com) and his personal slogan: “Bniedem ta’ anqas (sic) kliem u aktar fatti” (“A man of less words and more deeds”). Underneath the photo there is the AN logo emblazoned together with the party slogan, as well as his electoral credo: “As you know, I will be contesting the forthcoming general elections with a new political party in Malta and Gozo, which, I believe, will be instrumental to create a political balance in the leadership of our country…” On page two there is a full page with Xuereb boasting about his past achievements, both as a contractor as well as in local councils. Across the left hand side there is a series of photos depicting him, for instance, as Naxxar mayor, or some of his businesses, such as the Suncrest Hotel and the Victoria Hotel. Across the other two-thirds of the page there is a photo of Xuereb with his wife, Jessie, with the slogan “Bniedem b’Vizjoni” (“A man of vision”) underneath. “You know me as an energetic and dynamic person, one who has always been involved in the building and management of hotels, property and even a private hospital,” he said modestly. Across page 3 and more than half of page 4 are taken by a list of twenty-six “reasons” why Xuereb has decided to rejoin the political fray. Some of the reasons are pretty reasonable and ape what the other three parties are promising. Others are more controversial, such as: “Because I believe there should be a study to establish how many persons are abusing from the ETC registration and how many persons are being boarded out! How many of these are taking place before the elections?” Finally, on the bottom half of page 4, alongside a picture of a smiling Xuereb shaking hands with a grinning party leader Josie Muscat, there a section describing AN and its policies. Some of the more unpalatable statements made by the AN leadership about illegal immigrants, the role of women in society and the welfare state are not found here. Rather, we find wishy-washy statements about “practising the virtue of tolerance which means that we should respect all voices”. Some are merely wishful thinking, such as “So that the European Union shoulders the major part of the problem of illegal migration, because our country cannot carry the burden on its own”. “AN is ready to work with the other parties so that together we find fair solutions for the benefit of all Maltese and Gozitans and reduce the incessant and unnecessary trading of insults (in politics).” Whether the other parties would want to follow suit remains to be seen… Calculating that a candidate needs around 6,000 leaflets to cover all the households in a district, the average cost of a full-blown brochure that Xuereb has opted for is in excess of the Lm600 quota that every candidate is allowed by law for electoral expenses! Have you noticed anything interesting related to the electoral campaign? Then send an e-mail to Charlot Zahra at czahra@mediatoday.com.mt