Your columnist Stephen Calleja has decided to join the jolly anti-NGO brigade headed by Noel Grima, I M Beck and other colleagues well known for their political allegiance, who want to lure NGOs into the arena of political debate. NGOs are perfectly aware of the political implications of environmental issues but they leave everybody free to reach their own conclusions about politics and the state of our economy. NGOs stick to the state of our environment.

Mr Calleja would have done better to ponder a little longer on the effects of the global recession (which he mentions) and the results of the last election (which he also mentions), as he would have found more plausible answers for the possible causes of the slowdown in our economy. Attributing this to the actions of NGOs was so far-fetched that they could not even feel angered by his insinuation. It could only have made sensible people laugh out loud.

Mr Calleja’s attributing the slowdown in the economy to Dr Scerri’s resignation was just as hilarious, as was his failing to reveal the identity of his often-quoted “sources” for his tirade against NGOs. Could these have been land speculators? Mr Calleja must have racked his brain to find some way to attack the environmentalists.

Admittedly, he assigned himself a difficult task and, as was to be expected, the results were not exactly brilliant and do him little honour.

What havoc, according to Mr Calleja, the NGOs have caused to the national economy and to the PN in particular! One wonders how Mr Calleja stopped short of claiming that the NGOs all over the world are the cause of the global recession and that the local ones are causing our Cabinet ministers to have dandruff and the Prime Minister falling victim to chilblains.

Mr Calleja talks of a “victory for the NGOs”; those not politically blinded know that a victory for the NGOs is a victory for all Maltese, and a victory for the economy. Sadly enough, I cannot recall their scoring many of these. Indeed I challenge Mr Calleja to list the “victories” NGOs have won in the last four years. In return for every “victory” he mentions I promise to mention 10 or even 20 “defeats” we, the Maltese, have suffered in this respect.

Incidentally, Mr Calleja would also do well to remember that the PN mayor of Lija, Dr Castaldi Paris, to whom go my hearty congratulations, has made more than a couple of objections – just in the small village of Lija – and scored some brilliant victories. I wish NGOs had the same luck in their battles covering all Malta and Gozo. Is Dr Castaldi Paris protesting too much and screaming much too loudly for Mr Calleja and, consequently, harming the national economy?

Sandro Bugeja

XEMXIJA

Editorial note: Several letter writers on the topic at hand have failed to distinguish between a news report and an opinion piece. The article penned by Stephen Calleja was not an opinion but, rather, a news report in which sources speaking on condition of anonymity were quoted, a time-honoured journalistic norm. Another norm is that calls to reveal sources will not be entertained. We will not reply to each and every point raised about the news report in question but suffice it to say that from the bulk of the feedback received, it seems that the hope of constructive dialogue in the conservation-development debate remains but a rather distant hope.