The Rural Affairs and the Environment Ministry yesterday accused the Labour Party leader of political opportunism and of making baseless accusations, “instead of specifying on what grounds he is criticising the changes to the development zone boundaries”.

It also criticised Dr Alfred Sant for not saying what the alternatives should be. The ministry was referring to Dr Sant’s speech yesterday morning in St Paul’s Bay.

“The Opposition wants the zones to be revised: does it want a limited or a wider revision of the development zones? It seems that the Opposition Leader does not make a distinction between public consultation and unfounded rumours,” the ministry said in a statement.

Instead of taking an active role in such a sensitive process, the ministry added, the opposition is doing everything to hinder this transparent process aimed at addressing a number of anomalies and injustices that resulted from the provisional schemes of 1998.