Independent candidate Arnold Cassola has written to the President George Vella charging that the Prime Minister and the government are breaking the Constitution because they are not defending the environment.
In his letter, made public, Cassola says that Chapter II, Articles 9 (1) and (2) of the Maltese Constitution are extremely clear with regards to Maltese environment and to the defence of the quality of our land, air and waters.
These articles of the Constitution in fact read:
9.(1) The State shall safeguard the landscape and the historical and artistic patrimony of the Nation.
(2) The State shall protect and conserve the environment and its resources for the benefit of the present and future generations and shall take measures to address any form of environmental degradation in Malta, including that of air, water and land, and any sort of pollution problem and to promote, nurture and support the right of action in favour of the environment.
“Through its actions, in particular road building and the issuing of building permits, the government led by Dr Joseph Muscat is daily going against the Constitution by not safeguarding the landscape of our country, not protecting and conserving the environment and its resources for the benefit of present and future generations, and allowing the continuous degradation of the environment of our country.”
Cassola asked the President to “immediately halt the government in its steps and take immediate action to stop the government from continuing in its actions, which go against these two articles of our Constitution”.
The government has been under fire following a string of projects and plans which are deemed to cause harm to the environment, in particular road building and road widening.