Sliema council motion

Michael Pace Ross's letter (Unanimous Approval, December 6) is striking in an odd way. In fact, what is striking is not what he says but what he does not say.

To begin with, Mr Pace Ross does not say that his motion dated November 2, 2005 stated that the local council is for consultation with residents and is also in favour of the Qui-Si-Sana car park proposal. I insist that the second statement is technically incorrect.

Mr Pace Ross fails to say that, when I voted in favour of this motion, I made it clear that I am voting for consultation with Sliema residents but that I also have a major reservation because I am not in favour of the Qui-Si-Sana development project, and neither is the local council by virtue of its decision on January 19. Councillors Martin Debono and Marianne Aquilina made the same point too and also voted with the same reservation.

Mr Pace Ross does not say that he did not vote in favour of the motion dated January 19, 2005 through which the council's new position was that residents are to be consulted, only to be subsequently informed by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority that no further consultation is needed and that no environment impact assessment is to be carried out on this major project.

Mr Pace Ross also fails to say that the reservation made by councillors Debono, Aquilina and myself was not included in the minutes of the Sliema local council meeting of November 2.

This meeting was attended by many residents and journalists from The Times, Malta Today and Super One. They will surely remember that Mssrs. Debono, Aquilina and myself made the reservation in question. Conversely, the Nationalist councillors seemed to have forgotten about the reservation, as they voted against including it in the minutes, meaning that the official council minutes are omitting a clear fact. Bare facts are now being subject to partisan votes in what is resulting in a surreal mockery of and insult to democracy.

By coincidence, the Nationalist councillors are against the tape recording of local council meetings, which is common practice in many local councils and which ensures that minutes are faithful to what was said in meetings. Or perhaps, the Nationalists' position is no coincidence at all.