Yvonne Arqueros Ebejer shall be contesting local elections on behalf of Alternattiva Demokratika in St Julian's.

Her candidature was announced this morning during a news conference at Qaliet.

She said residents of the area have been exposed and are still being exposed to noise pollution and constant dust due to endless construction works.

All this caused health problems, such as asthma and stress.

Sometimes one could hardly walk in parts of this area, let alone use a bicycle, a pushchair or a wheelchair, she said.

"Because we care and because a person's well-being is our priority and our main concern, we are here to highlight what these residents have been going through.

"If elected in St Julian's council next March I will give priority to residents' rights which are being trampled upon by overdevelopment," she said.

AD chairman Michael Briguglio said Qaliet residents have been undergoing constant stress and discomfort due to overdevelopment in the area.

"Construction is on-going on various sites, and the area is already overdeveloped especially due to the Portomaso development, which has been developed in excess of its original approval in 1995.

"The developers are now proposing an extra 46 apartments on an artificial lagoon between Spinola road, the edge of the marina and the foreshore.

"This totally disregards the Environment Impact Assessment of the project which had called for protection of the area in question.

"The developers were responsible for the conservation of the two species (wedgefoot grass and Maltese sea camomile), one of which has already disappeared," he said.

Spokesman Carmel Cacopardo said AD was in the process of identifying its candidates for the next round of local elections in March 2012.

A good number of candidates had already been identified and will be introduced individually.