Gozitans are sick and tired of all the allegations of favouritism and nepotism surrounding the Ministry for Gozo, said AD chairman Harry Vassallo yesterday.

Speaking during a press conference, Dr Vassallo said: “An AD MP for Gozo would mean the immediate reform of the Gozo Ministry for the benefit of all Gozitans. Gozitans deserve to be given what is theirs by right and not made to feel that they are at the whim and mercy of systematic favouritism.”

Dr Vassallo said that there is widespread agreement that having Gozo represented at Cabinet level is very positive. However, he said that AD is proposing a further development to improve the present situation whereby Gozo is administered through a Ministry for Gozo.

Dr Vassallo said that the Ministry for Gozo should be an inclusive ministry and not a hotbed of cronyism. “The Ministry should be a democratic institution

based on the principles of accountability and transparency. We are therefore proposing that parliament should appoint a permanent committee for Gozo. This permanent committee should include all MPs elected from Gozo.”

He continued: “In this manner, the Ministry for Gozo will not remain accountable only to the Prime Minister but will be answerable to Parliament too.”

Dr Vassallo said: "This proposal would mean much greater transparency in the way the Ministry operates and would contribute towards removing the rampant perception of favouritism, nepotism and clientelism which currently pervades in Gozo. AD in Parliament would mean an end to the idea that merit counts less than the granting of favours for electoral gain.”

He also commented on the recent electoral amendments. While it was very positive that Gozo had remained one district, he said that it was shameful that no current Gozitan MP had highlighted the fact that Gozo, by becoming a larger district when compared to the other districts, had become under-represented in Parliament.

Dr Vassallo said that it was only AD that was calling for greater representation for Gozitans to reflect the changed circumstances created by the electoral amendments. He concluded that the greatest reform Gozo needed at present was the election of an AD MP for Gozo so that the progressive reforms AD is pushing forward for Gozo could be implemented.