ADPD leader touts party's 'tangible progress' at annual general meeting
Green Party approves its new executive committee
The ADPD has made “tangible progress” in the past year, its leader Sandra Gauci said at the party’s annual general meeting on Saturday.
Gauci, who took over the Green Party as chairperson in May 2023, noted that the party had elected two councillors in local council elections held a year ago, with other candidates also obtaining “respectable results, demonstrating growing public dissatisfaction with the entrenched two-party system.”
Gauci is one of the party’s two councillors, having been elected to the St Paul’s Bay local council. The other is Ralph Cassar, the party’s secretary-general, who is on the Attard local council.
Gauci noted that a legal battle launched by the party to challenge the proportionality of Malta’s electoral system is currently at the appeals stage. The party lodged the appeal after losing an initial court case related to the challenge.
The ADPD leader also accused the government of derailing a Constitutional Convention process before it had properly started and noted that major amendments were being pushed through parliament without proper public consultation.
The party was a staunch critic of Bill 125, passed into law earlier this year, which reformed the system of magisterial inquiries.
Gauci also criticised the government for its lack of transparency and accountability, and questioned the credibility of a government reluctant to disclose financial interests.
The party lambasted the government for ignoring public outcry over environmental and planning issues, including opposition to developments in Comino and Manoel Island, coastal privatisation, and building safety.
During the AGM, a motion by Secretary-General Ralph Cassar critiquing the government's "Vision 2050" plan was approved.
Unveiled earlier this year and backed by the Opposition, the policy document maps out a framework for economic development running until 2050.
The ADPD has staunchly criticised the plan, saying it encourages mass tourism and uncontrolled construction, says nothing about climate change and is rooted in “an outdated economic model that fails to respect ecological balance or human wellbeing, both current and future.”
The party stressed that a healthy economy cannot exist without a healthy planet and called for prioritising essential sectors like energy, water, agriculture, and transport.
It also emphasised the importance of safeguarding workers' rights, promoting cooperatives and SMEs, and encouraging long-term investments over financial speculation.
It said it would be developing its positions on various issues in the coming months.
The ADPD also approved its new executive committee for the upcoming year. It includes:
- Chairperson: Sandra Gauci
- Deputy Chairpersons: Melissa Bagley, Carmel Cacopardo
- Secretary-General: Ralph Cassar
- Deputy Secretary-Generals: Luke Caruana (Organisation), Mario Mallia (Policy)
- PRO: Brian Decelis
- Treasurer: Mina Jack Tolu
- International Secretary: Mark Zerafa
- Members: Marcus Lauri, Sam Vella