Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, along with two other cabinet members elected from the 2nd district, told this newsroom last week that they are confident that the American University of Malta will reach its targets.

The Malta Independent sought comments from PM Joseph Muscat, Minister Joe Mizzi and PS Chris Agius after their fellow district MP, Glenn Bedingfield, came out against the proposed developments by AUM, which will see the few remaining open spaces at Dock 1 built up.

The MP, previously a vocal supporter of the university project, has taken particular exception to the proposed dormitory on Triq San Pawl, which would take up dozens of needed parking spaces. More importantly, he said that AUM does not need all these buildings for a “dozen” students.

Cospicua mayor Alison Zerafa Civelli disagreed with the MP, saying that AUM currently has around 120 students. The university said yesterday it will give out the numbers in October.

Speaking to this newspaper, the Prime Minister, in his capacity as an MP, said he was “confident that AUM will achieve its targets within the established timeframes as set in the public contract.”

Muscat had previously said that the university has to have around 4,000 students by four years after all construction works are completed in 2025. This means that AUM has to reach full capacity by 2029. If this does not happen, the PM had said, the land and all facilities owned by AUM will return to the government.

The PM also told this newsroom last week that all comments and submissions about the infrastructural works of any investment will be considered by the independent planning process.

In what seemed to be a coordinated reply, both Mizzi and Agius said pretty much the same thing.

Now, we have two issues with the PM’s reply. Firstly, we cannot understand why the PM keeps giving assurances about a university that is very evidently failing to attract people.

Glenn Bedingfield had initially been excited about AUM but, after seeing the university struggle to attract staff and students alike, he starting doubting the whole thing. The PM, on the other hand, has remained steadfast in his belief that AUM will be a success. How can he possibly be confident that AUM will reach its targets, and that it will do so within the stipulated timeframes?

Also, the PM’s previous comments that the land would be returned to the government should AUM fail to reach its targets is not reassuring at all. Because what use will that be to us if the land would have already been built up? What would happen to these large developments, especially the dorm, complete with swimming pool, on St Paul Street? Will they be turned into a hotel? Apartments?

Another point that must be made is the Planning Authority will only base its decision on whether to issue a permit on the plans and studies that have been carried out by the developer, and on existing policies. In other words, it will not be deciding on the basis of whether these new buildings are actually needed. So we might have a scenario where the buildings are approved and built without there actually being a demand for them.

Rather than give coordinated replies and express confidence in a hyped up project that is evidently not doing so well, our MPs should actually have the political courage to admit that this project might not turn out how they planned.

And they should also listen to the residents. Taking their last remaining open spaces is bad enough. Doing so by building structures that are not even required is even worse.