Critics say the monti would be an unsightly addition to Valletta’s entrance. Photo: Jason Borg

It was only “half-true” that the Nationalists made an election eve promise to relocate the Valletta monti near City Gate, former small business minister Jason Azzopardi said yesterday.

He said the Monti Hawkers’ Association had not told the public how the Nationalists’ offer contained red lines, in contrast with Labour’s.

Association president Joe Zrinzo confirmed during a news TV show yesterday morning that Dr Azzopardi did make the offer.

The Labour Government was criticised after it emerged that it had made a pre-election agreement to move the market from Merchants Street to Ordnance Street, close to the City Gate entrance.

Critics insist the market would be an unsightly addition to the entrance of Valletta, which will be European Capital of Culture in 2018.

Dr Azzopardi said the Nationalist Party’s main red line was that the market had to remain in Ordnance Street in the area alongside the shopping arcade, Palazzo Ferreria and the Social Security Department and could not spill over into Republic Street.

I said: ‘this Government will not sell its soul for votes’

He showed Times of Malta a copy of the e-mail he had sent to a representative of the monti hawkers on March 9, Election Day, when such a condition was spelled out.

According to the e-mail, no stalls could be mounted alongside the new Renzo Piano-designed Parliament building, which is under construction along with an open-air theatre as part of a project to transform City Gate.

It was also stated that all the hawkers had to agree to the relocation as the Government would not tolerate two different street markets in Valletta.

Dr Azzopardi said he informed hawkers that the relocation would have to be discussed with shop and restaurant owners in the area, although this was not mentioned in the e-mail.

According to Dr Azzopardi, he was approached by a group of hawkers asking the PN to commit to the relocation on the afternoon of March 8.

The hawkers told him about their agreement with Labour and asked for a similar guarantee from the PN.

The former minister said he relayed the request to decision-makers within the party and received approval from then Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi to make an offer to the hawkers on the morning of March 9. He did this by phone and later via e-mail.

Dr Azzopardi also said that he had been informed by a hawkers’ representative that they would not all fit in Ordnance Street and that Labour had promised they could spill over on to the area around Parliament.

“I replied: ‘If you want to vote Labour for this reason go ahead; this Government will not sell its soul for votes’.”

The PN consistently resisted appeals for the Sunday hawkers to also set up in Valletta as there was no space for them, Dr Azzopardi added.

When contacted, Mr Zrinzo said Republic Street was a red line for both political parties and its agreement with Labour did not include an offer to set up stalls on the city’s main thoroughfare.

He said licence holders for the daily market would have fixed stalls in Ordnance Street and would display details that would make them identifiable to customers and the authorities.

The Government is also discussing relocating Sunday hawkers to Valletta.

As there would not be room for all the Sunday traders in Ordnance Street, a Government spokesman said spill-over locations being discussed were De Valette Square, part of Merchants’ Street and part of South Street.

The Government is doing its utmost to tap EU funds to help monti hawkers upgrade their stalls, the spokesman added.

‘Valletta’s lack of management’

The proposed relocation of the Valletta monti to Ordnance Street is “yet another piecemeal decision” that highlights the lack of holistic, urban management of the capital, according to an environmental NGO.

Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar said the market was “in dire need” of better management.

Stalls should be laid out in single file to avoid blocking pedestrians and the market should include more arts and crafts.

Valletta’s problems extended far beyond the market, FAA added. Since the relaxation of change-of-use regulations, its real estate was targeted for offices or foreign buyers.

This contributed to Valletta becoming more of a ghost town as the local population dwindled.

“Valletta needs a thriving population and a balance of residents and commercial outlets,” the NGO said.

Planning policies continued to be ignored and the planning authority repeatedly allowed extra floors to be constructed without considering the negative impact on narrow streets, it added.

“The lack of planning, studies and organisation to meet residents’ needs is fuelling the exodus from Valletta. Malta already has one Silent City. Valletta must be kept alive.”