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Gibraltar elections

GIBRALTAR: Clustered atop Europe's last colonial outpost, the population of Gibraltar goes to the polls on Thursday for an election unusually short of debate over how or whether to keep their rocky crag in British hands.

Instead of debate over decolonialisation, or improving links with neighbouring Spain, the territory's 18,000 resident are going to the polls with more humdrum matters on their mind Ñ hospitals, jobs, and tax cuts.

Joe Bossano, veteran 61-year-old Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party leader and former chief minister, admits that his fight to regain power has been based on "day-to-day issues".

Now allied with the territory's diminutive Liberal Party, led by Joseph Garcia, Bossano has promised a Roosevelt-style "new Deal" to win back voters' hearts. If elected, he promise to boost pensions, lower taxes, introduce school scholarships and build a major new hospital.

In his sights in current Chief Minister Peter Caruana, who still leads current opinion polls by about 10 points.

A pragmatic lawyers, 43-year-old Caruana heads the Gibraltar Social Democrats, and has been careful to avoid Bossano's grand pledges. While matching the promise of a new hospital, for instance, Caruana has insisted that his would be built in a refurbished building and not from scratch.

Caruana, who defeated Bossano four years ago to become chief minister, has instead trumpeted a recent influx of investment, which he has put down to an assault on money launderers and assorted European tax-dodgers.

"Gibraltar now operates as one of the world's most reputable, well regulated financial services centre, and our international reputation now reflects that fact," Caruana told the Chronicle daily on Wednesday.ÑAFP