Papal visit

Only last month, it was announced that the postponed visit by the pope to Malta last year would go ahead this year on the weekend of April 2 and 3.

At the same time, the Vatican also announced that no visits would take place either two weeks before or two weeks after any general elections, to any country, for fear it may be looked upon as being political.

Is the Vatican going to reschedule the visit to Malta once our prime minister has announced that the general election will be held just one week prior to the papal visit?

Gerald Goodwin – Fgura

Fluctuations in electricity

For the second time in one year, the minister of energy has had to apologise for providing all who live in Malta and Gozo with an inferior electrical system.

Just thinking back to last summer’s heat and all the blackouts, she apologised and stated that the electrical distribution system would be upgraded. Never a timeline given. Nothing said again.

Now, in the dead of winter, an outpouring of unhappiness from all over Malta and Gozo. And, again, she apologises. But this time she states that, for a mere €90 million, we will fix it. As I live in Naxxar, I only will have to wait until 2026 to see the fruits of her statements. In the meantime, we suffer extreme power fluctuations, far and above what Enemalta says should happen. For many people, it means the destruction of TVs, washing machines, electric ovens. And loss of power in our blocks because Enemalta provided us with less power than promised (by their regulations).

And, to rub salt into the wounds they created, when we alert them to a power failure in the middle of the night, with indoor temperatures of 8˚C, they send a truck with three workers to change one fuse (like that old light bulb joke. How many workers does it take to replace one light bulb? Three. One to hold the light bulb and two to turn him around to screw in the bulb.) And if that were not enough, it has happened three or four times in about one month (two times in one night). And then, they send out bills to us for changing the fuse, which we are not allowed to change ourselves.

Minister, I respectfully have two solutions. First, tell Enemalta to stop telling us to stop using so much electricity. There is a simple reason for that. We are not adding more usage.

Our usage has not changed. In fact, we spent a fair amount of money to add solar panels to our home, reducing our bills and providing power to the grid. And, now, we are installing battery backup so that, after sundown, we will be using the electricity that we generated during the day. And Enemalta regulations state that they have to provide certain specifics regarding electricity. That they can do now, without waiting until 2026.

It would be a valued service if they would finally send an engineer to our building, as they said they would. Let us resolve this together.

And the second thing that can be done is to stop approving electrical applications for every new building the PA approves. On our street alone, two four-floor buildings have been completed this year. Around the corner, four new four-floor buildings will be completed this year. Why are you providing electrical service to new buildings, while refusing us the right to continue having an adequate electrical supply?

Alan Zelt – Naxxar

Let’s make a difference

Over the last years, the Labour Party has been insisting on the need for a constructive opposition as this is vital for a democracy.

The PN reinvented itself and is now fully fledged to offer an alternative government, as the ever-increasing support is suggesting.

It is now the PL’s turn to carry out a soul-searching exercise and restore itself for the sake of democracy. It is the voter who has the power to redirect the PL for a thorough clean-up to become a dignified constructive opposition.

As David Pace Ross recently commented, the PL supporters who vote their party out of office will be doing both the PL and the country a service.

In five years’ time, then they will be given another chance to govern if they convince the electorate they have changed drastically for the better.

Today, only the PN can bring about the change Malta deserves. Bernard Grech, together with his team, constantly invites people to join him in his vision for a better future for Malta.

Joining and voting PN at this point in time does make a difference. Let us grasp the opportunity.

Josephine Vella – Birkirkara