Prime Minister Robert Abela's response to the petition calling for Manoel Island to be turned into a national heritage park lacks the sense of public benefit and respect of legality that one would expect from a head of state, an NGO said Tuesday.
"We express our full support for the initiatives being undertaken by the government to increase green open spaces in urban areas, and applaud his mention of the recently opened Birgu Glacis park, a place very much in line with our own vision, as a prime example of the government's efforts,” the NGO Moviment Graffitti said in a statement.
"However, faced with the clear request of over 29,000 people that reflects the overarching spirit of the nation, the Prime Minister gave a sadly misinformed reply while repeating MIDI's arguments to the letter. He has clearly been listening to MIDI's views on their own development. We now ask that he hears the need of over 29,000 people," Graffitti said.
The Prime Minister's representation of "our request did not present the full picture,” the NGO said.
Abela on Monday criticised the ongoing narrative as "selective," noting that the revised masterplan by MIDI focuses on heritage preservation and significantly reduces the development footprint, with 60% of the island will remain accessible to the public.
“The Prime Minister's response omits any mention of MIDI's contractual obligation to substantially complete the project by March 2026. The contract stipulates that if this deadline is not adhered to, the government has the right to rescind the entire concession. He also fails to mention the covert negotiations currently underway between the government and MIDI to extend this deadline by around 10 years," Graffitti said.
The NGO said that Abela's claim that the concession was granted by the PN, even though it was passed through Parliament with the unanimous backing of both the PN and the PL, “makes it clear that he is trying to wash his hands of what will ultimately be his responsibility for the construction of hundreds of apartments and commercial buildings on Manoel Island.”
“The truth is that MIDI can only proceed with its plans with the blessing and agreement of Prime Minister Robert Abela. It is clear that MIDI has little solid basis for its claim that it is due an extension of around 10 years. That means that any such extension will need to be gifted to it by the current administration,” the NGO added.
The NGO said that it acknowledges that contracts must be respected - but that argument holds true for both parties and includes the legal clause stipulating the government's "right to rescind the emphyteutical concession in respect of the whole of the Property". It therefore stressed that the government's hands are not tied, and that the "private land" in question is ultimately government-owned.
In Robert Abela's words, it would be "difficult" to get Manoel Island back, the NGO said. “With that attitude, Malta would still be under the rule of feudal lord Gonsalvo Monroy,” it added.
The collective effort from NGOs and the 29,000+ signatories of the petition have now given Abela a mandate to use the obligations defined within the contract and enter these difficult, but not impossible, negotiations with the scope of giving the public what it needs to ensure health and quality of life, the organisation said.
"We invite the Prime Minister to rise to the occasion and work towards a solution that benefits the people of Malta to the fullest extent. While such negotiations will undoubtedly take time and effort, at least 29,000 people have deemed this venture an important one," Graffitti said.
“With regard to concerns about the cost, it is perhaps worth remembering that even Monroy eventually waived part of the sum he was due to receive from the Maltese,” it added.