The government has started restoring bastions and fortifications, which are highly visible to all, in a clear exercise of electoral gimmickry, said Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Harry Vassallo at a press conference held yesterday in Valletta just below the Siege Bell.

Also present were Arnold Cassola and Ray Bondin, former Executive Coordinator of the Valletta, Cottonera and Mdina Rehabilitation Projects and former Nationalist Party MP.

Dr Bondin did not confirm whether he would be contesting the next general election as an AD candidate. However, he endorsed the Green Party’s heritage credentials and praised it for bringing the problem of conserving cultural heritage to the forefront of its policies.

He criticised the government for allowing Fort St Elmo to fall into such bad state of repair and asserted that it would cost the country around Lm1million (EUR2.33million) just to stop it from decaying further. He said the site had attracted a lot of interest when its development brief was published back in 1997. Dr Bondin said the fort covers a quarter of the total area of Valletta and is one of the most important fortifications in the world.

The AD chairman criticised the government for investing only just over Lm12 million (EUR30 million) to restore the 27 kilometres of fortifications built by the Knights of St John when it was aware that such a project would cost Lm43 million (EUR100 million).

The restoration of St John’s Cavalier and the new arch of the Vittoriosa Bridge were only carried out with the aim of gaining political mileage, insisted Dr Vassallo, adding that several other ruined fortifications are in a dismal state just because they are not located in popular, visible spots.