The Malta Labour Party is ready to help the Govern-ment recover land in Qawra worth Lm10 million, as had been agreed at the time Maltacom was sold, MLP deputy leader Charles Mangion said yesterday.
Speaking to MLP supporters in Sliema, Dr Mangion said that the facts demonstrate that either Minister Austin Gatt was misguided, or else he misguided Parliament, when he declared that the government would retain ownership of the land following the privatisation of Maltacom.
Dr Mangion said that the Government was obliged to ensure that the land was returned to the people of Malta and Gozo. However, he said, this had not happened. Furthermore, TECOM, the new owners of Maltacom, consider the land to be part of their assets, and the company’s chairman has said that it is up to the board to decide whether or not to return the land.
This situation shows that the agreement was so flawed that the government, far from having the right to recover the land, now has to beg for its return, said Dr Mangion. Was this situation the result of incompetence? he asked, adding that the cabinet should shoulder responsibility for any eventual loss of the land, which is valued at Lm10 million.
The MLP deputy leader said the party demanded that Maltacom employees be treated with dignity during the restructuring process, as the company has advanced thanks to their efforts.
Government must also explain how certain projects have exceeded their budget allocation by Lm191 million, he said. The MLP has been demanding an explanation for the last three months, but none has been forthcoming.
Speaking on the subject of the forthcoming celebrations for Workers’ Day, Dr Mangion said one had to ask where the benefits of economic growth, claimed by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, are going. In 2005, only 34 per cent of economic growth was reflected in extra income for workers, while the figure for 2006 was 22 per cent.
The MLP, said Dr Mangion, is committed to helping
successful sectors of the economy and will analyse the problems faced by other sectors in order to pull them out of the blind alleys in which they presently find themselves.
At the same event, MLP deputy leader for party affairs Michael Falzon asked what is causing Prime Minister Gonzi to delay presenting in Parliament the constitutional amendments to the electoral law.
Dr Falzon said the MLP and the PN had agreed in November that Gozo should remain a separate district and that the party gaining the most first count votes should have the most seats in parliament.
Five months have already passed since this agreement was reached, so what is the Prime Minister waiting for, he asked. He pointed out that the amendments will avoid a recurrence of certain anomalies that have arisen in recent years.
Dr Falzon accused the PN of being deceitful. In Swieqi, he said, the PN mayor had promised to work with the councillors from other
parties, but they had not been given any responsibilities.
In the Floriana local council election, in which the MLP had gained the most votes, an independent candidate had been elected only because of a mathematical anomaly, following four hours’ deliberation by the electoral commission. However, said Dr Falzon, thanks to the PN, which preaches democracy, the independent candidate had been elected mayor, a PN councillor had landed the post of deputy mayor and the MLP had been excluded from the council’s leadership.
Hunters and trappers had also been deceived by the PN, said the MLP deputy leader. Before the last general election, the PN had sent them a letter assuring them that hunting and trapping would be safeguarded.
Dr Falzon said the MLP will not only celebrate Workers’ Day in remembrance of workers, because it has not forgotten its origins, but will also hail the economic gains the country can achieve with the contribution of the workers. This proves, said Dr Falzon, that the MLP is a living and dynamic party that looks to the future.