SOS Hondoq News

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Ramla: Naming of Mepa board members

Published on The Times of Malta on Thursday 5th July, 2007 by James A. Tyrrell.

I was shocked to read the letter by André Chetcuti of St Julians, entitled An Act Of Intimidation (June 30). Why should the names of people who voted for the disgraceful development at Ramla not be read out in public? What gives members of the Mepa board the right to anonymity? These people are in public office and as such they are answerable to the general public for the decisions they make.

He goes on to speak of this as a premeditated act of the organisers. Of course it was and rightly so. This was a protest rally; did Mr Chetcuti perhaps expect them to print the posters on the spot? He then speaks of attacking the person and his/her reputation, which is of course rubbish. No right-minded person could see this as an attack on an individual board member. The attack, if that is the right description for what took place, was directed fairly and squarely at the Mepa board.

Any shame pertaining to this situation rests with Mepa and the board members who voted in favour of the Ulysses Lodge application, the Nadur graveyard, the Hondoq ir-Rummien development, etc. As for such tactics damaging the environmental lobby, what utter rubbish. Mr Chetcuti ought to look at the number of people who attended this rally compared to the last. I make it at least a 50 per cent increase.

The people of Malta and Gozo have finally awakened to the fact that developers are being allowed to destroy their homeland. They have finally awakened to the fact that Mepa are fiddling while the islands are being raped for financial profit. Mr Chetcuti must not ostracise himself from his own people by trying to defend the indefensible.