PN wants government to publish €43m Manoel Island deal

Updated 1.50pm with PL reaction

The PN on Wednesday commended civil society and environmentalists who campaigned for Manoel Island to be turned into a public park while urging the government to publish the €43 million deal reached with the MIDI Consortium for the site to be returned to the state. 

The agreement reached for the termination of the 99-year emphyteutical grant of Manoel Island and Fort Tigne' was announced in a Facebook broadcast by Prime Minister Robert Abela on Monday.

Culture and Lands Minister Owen Bonnici later revealed that the government will pay €43 million as part of the deal, being just over half of what the consortium spent on Manoel Island, mostly on the restoration of Fort Manoel and the building of an electricity distribution centre. MIDI had requested €78 million, Bonnici said.  

The Midi consortium was granted the concessions in 2000 to develop luxury apartments on both Manoel Island and Tigné Point. 

On Wednesday, the PN said in a statement that Manoel Island should become an open public space for Maltese and Gozitan families, and this was "a matter of justice, quality of life, and a serious vision for the country".

The area's residents had long suffered the consequences of excessive density, overdevelopment and a serious lack of planning by the government, so the creation of a public space was not a whim or a luxury, but a national necessity.

"The PN salutes and thanks environmental organisations, residents, civil society and all those who, with conviction, seriousness and commitment, raised national awareness in favour of this just cause.

"If today this possibility is on the table, it is thanks to public pressure and their work, as well as the insistence of the PN. The Labour government can never claim this merit, and it is certainly not thanks to it that we have reached this point."

The party claimed that the government had not acted with conviction from the start, but was "merely reactive". It only took action when it found itself under strong public pressure, and after the PN declared its clear and public support for this demand, it added. 

"Nevertheless, the Partit Nazzjonalista also understands the legitimate concerns of all shareholders of MIDI plc, and the fact that thousands of people who invested their money in this company are concerned about their investments.

"The PN believes that this process must proceed with seriousness, with respect towards all those involved, but above all with full transparency and full protection of the public interest."

It said that although Abela had "rushed in front of cameras" to announce the agreement, to date, no one has seen the draft agreement proposed or the valuation of the amount the government is proposing to pay MIDI plc.

"Abela hurried to try to make political gain from this issue before the agreement was presented to parliament and before it was properly discussed with members of the relevant parliamentary committee.

"MPs sitting on the public accounts committee of the national audit office have still not received the draft contract or the valuation, nor has a date been proposed for the committee to meet,' the statement by Darren Carabott and Stanley Zammit - both members of the committee - read. 

The party accused Abela of once again putting the cart before the horse and choosing PR over process.

"Once again, he chose political points over institutional seriousness. And once again, he attempted to turn a matter of national interest into an exercise in personal promotion.

"The PN will continue to support anything that is in the best interest of the Maltese and Gozitan people, but it will not accept that an agreement of this magnitude passes without scrutiny, without transparency and without respect towards parliament and the people."

While Manoel Island should be returned to the people, the public also has the right to know the full truth, see the entire agreement, and understand exactly what is being done in its name and with its money, the party added.

Opposition' surreal statement: PL

Reacting, the PL said in a statement that nearly 48 hours after the agreement put forward by the government had been accepted, so that Manoel Island and Fort Tigné are returned to the people, the PN had issued a "surreal statement.

"This is the PN that carried out the atrocity of a concession, a significant part of which has now been revoked so that the lands that a Nationalist government had given to developers are returned to families.

"Less than a year ago, the Nationalist Opposition said that this was just a beautiful dream and that there were contractual obligations. Prime Minister Robert Abela did not stop at the dream but wanted to turn it into reality so that the people would benefit."

Din l-Art Ħelwa welcomes the return of Manoel Island and Fort Tigné

In a separate statement, the environment NGO Din l-Art Ħelwa welcomed the agreement to bring the Manoel Island and Fort Tigné concessions back into public ownership.

"We commend the prime minister and the government for heeding the strong public outcry and taking this decisive step to safeguard these two historic sites for future generations. With Fort Tigné now set to be entrusted to Heritage Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, having previously put forward a proposal for its acquisition and restoration, stands ready to offer its full support to ensure the fort is repurposed and managed to the highest standards of heritage conservation and that this will be done for public benefit and enjoyment," the NGO said.