Joseph Muscat’s popularity 

I refer to the interview which Herman Grech had with Joseph Muscat wherein Grech referred to “a growing chorus of people, including many from the Labour Party” who want to see him ejected from their own party. But when he substantiated his claim he only mentioned just one – Desmond Zammit Marmarà.

It would be very interesting if the Times of Malta commissions a professional and independent public opinion survey among 2017 genuine PL voters, and ask them, if Muscat ever decides to contest an election, local or EU one, which preference would they give him?

I am totally convinced the vast majority would give him first preference.

I hold this view because I strongly believe that not just Labour voters but also many thousands of Maltese and Gozitan voters will never forget that, under his leadership, they acquired rights and opportunities which they could previously only dream about.

I read Joseph Brincat’s double-page article in It-Torċa, wherein he made it plain – and substantiated his conclusion with meticulous details – that he considered Chief Justice Emeritus Joseph Said Pullicino as not having been an impartial member of the board of inquiry set up by former prime minister, Muscat.

He was chosen after two other persons, Ian Refalo and Anthony Abela Medici, had been objected to by the Caruana Galizia family, I assume on the advice of their PN lawyers, Jason Azzopardi and Therese Comodini Cachia.

And having read what Muscat had noted in Brincat’s article about Said Pullicino’s role within the board of inquiry, and the fact that what Brincat has written, has not been rebutted, as well as Muscat’s assertion that the inquiry “had been relegated to a political exercise”, I strongly believe that Said Pullicino should no longer be appointed in any future inquiry – public or not – which may have political connotations.

Eddy Privitera – Mosta

Traffic problems

 

We have been facing the Gordian Knot for a long period. We are adding more tangles without any effort to tackle the problem from its roots.

It is understood that an average of 30 cars are added each and every day to our already over-congested roads.

The widening of roads is only a short-term solution.

First and foremost, this huge problem must be deleted from the “political” agenda. Criticising efforts will not solve any problem. Let us have genuine and studied suggestions and plausible alternatives.

I split this problem in two, namely the constant increase on the roads and the Herculean nightmare of parking.

The vast zone of St Paul’s Bay and Qawra has been complicated by the number of slots taken over by restaurants. Come any weekend itis nigh impossible to find a spot and even the blue bays (reserved for the disabled) are being misused. Requesting assistance from the police will get you nowhere. By reducing parking slots, the very restaurants are scaring off their patrons.

In this area there are many possibilities. There are a number of sites which can be used for controlled parking.

But this solution can only be found from on-the-spot inspection and not from behind a desk or a ministerial chauffeur car.

I am offering two suggestions. Firstly, there should be a moratorium of additional cars entering the islands.

Where should the cut occur?

Perhaps the importation of used cars should be suspended for a good number of months. The importers will object but they are killing the proverbial goose.

Secondly, the purchaser of any car must guarantee a garage. Garages are available but while some are ready to pay large sums of money for flashy cars, they do not seem to be ready to invest in garages but prefer to leave their cars on the road.

Finally, how about introducing parking meters for non-residents?

How about scrapping your present car before importing a replacement?

Frans Said – St Paul’s Bay

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