Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Arnold Cassola said the reason some academics did not sign a Zonqor Point joint statement opposing the proposed development may have been because they did not want to lose the chance of being made University of Malta Rector.

“Rector Juanito Camilleri is not going to have his term renewed next year and the undercurrents on the next possible rector can already be felt.

“It is always the incumbent government that appoints the rector since of the 24 Council members that vote for the rector, 13 are directly or indirectly appointed by government. 

“So, it could be the case that anybody with such ambitions is being cautious so as not to rock the boat and end up being excluded from being a ‘rectorial papabile’,” Prof Cassola said.

He was answering this newsroom’s questions on whether he feels it was justified that certain academics who did not sign the statement said that the issue of Zonqor merited further discussion before one signed such a statement.

Prof Cassola said he does not think there was any need for more discussion on the text of the statement.  “It was clear and simple and it does not take rocket science to understand it.”

Yesterday, The Malta Independent reported that a number of academics did not sign a joint statement airing their concerns on the Zonqor Point preliminary development and the assessment made in the selection of the site.

The academics who did not sign were Prof. Dominic Fenech, who formerly served as the PL’s secretary general and at present is the head of the History Department at the University of Malta, Prof Carmel Borg, who had stated, in a televised interview, that he was against the Zonqor Point development, Dr Carmen Sammut - the chairperson of the Majjistral Park Board and previously chaired the Fondazzjoni Ideat, presenter of Ghandi xi Nghid discussion programme Dr Andrew Azzopardi and Prof. Mary Darmanin, the former wife of ex Labour prime minister Alfred Sant. Dr Azzopardi had penned an article published on this newspaper expressing his views on the proposed development of Zonqor.

The statement was published online late last month after several academics expressed their concerns. It was signed by 195 academics in all, including over 150 academic staff at the University of Malta, and some 40 professors.

Prof Cassola went on to say that some academics may have not received the e-mail with the statement or simply had mixed feelings on the issue. It could also be the case, he said, that some are in actual fact in favour of the project.

When asked for a comment on the fact that an investor was chosen without a public call, Prof Cassola said: “I believe that the government's way of proceeding on this issue is utterly disgusting.

“There is no transparency, no level playing field, no respect at all for the environment, no respect at all for the Maltese people and our intelligence. 

“The more secretive the government is when it comes up with this way of wheeling and dealing, the more one gets the impression that Gaffarena is not alone, and that there are others whom the government would like to accommodate at the expense of the whole Maltese population and its few open spaces. 

“I would also be very interested to know who acted as the go-between the Sadeen Group and the Maltese government.  These people, who certainly do not care about the general welfare of present and future Maltese generations, certainly have a lot to gain from getting the land cheaply at Zonqor,” he said.