EDITORIAL

WHAT an election campaign it is proving to be! The socialist party in Calvia are giving away free condoms (even to the under aged) the leader of the Majorcan Unionist Party goes-up in a hot air ballon to call for a second ring-road and the Partido Popular's campaign is based around a coloured pencil. You don't have any trouble getting an interview with a political candidate as long as it is published two days before the election. The trouble about the local elections is that no-one is even daring to give an accurate forecast of the result. There are no clear favourites. The Partido Popular claims that they are gaining support while the Socialists believe that they will benefit from the strong anti-war sentiment but infact no-one knows. The deciding factor I suspect in this local election will be “Who is to blame for the fall in tourism.” The coalition local government have blamed everyone from Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein to the weather while the Partido Popular alleges that it is all caused by the tourist tax. However, what they don't tell you is they think that the tax is a good idea although it was badly managed. Like most of the Balearics I am still undecided who I'm going to vote for. Spain has a very sensible tradition of having a day of reflectionn 24 hours before the poll in which all campaigning is stopped. I will probably decide then and there who I will vote for. Its a difficult decision. Condoms, pencils or hot air ballons. Its certainly going to need plenty of reflection. Perhaps it would be a good idea not to have an election campaign at all and just have a two week period of reflection because at the moment I am not impressed.