Front Ħarsien ODZ has again called on the government to publish the agreement with the construction group that wants to build a university at Żonqor point.

Marsascala’s Nationalist councillor Charlot Cassar said the lobby group was concerned with lack of transparency on the site identification of the proposed university.

He insisted the heads of agreement between the government and the Sadeen Construction Group should be released, noting that the site selection report had been prepared by the office of planning authority CEO Johann Buttigieg.

The lobby group was speaking in front of Parliament in Valletta yesterday in anticipation of tomorrow’s national protest against development in outside development zones.

Shocking that authors not identified

Mr Cassar said it was “shocking” that the authors of the report were not identified and questioned whether the CEO of a public authority was receiving instructions from the Office of the Prime Minister to keep the planning process confidential. Front spokesman Michael Briguglio said the CEO’s office had not even consulted with the authority’s own Environment Protection Directorate.

Now that a second site selection exercise is being launched, the 100 sites being considered will be disclosed at the upcoming meeting of the Parliament’s committee on planning, he added.

Marsascala deputy Labour mayor Desiree Attard, who was expected to address the same conference, did not turn up for family reasons. Dr Briguglio confirmed that Ms Attard was still a committed member of the lobby group.

Tomorrow’s protest will start in front of Parliament at 10am.