AD takes Qui-si-sana residents' plight to EU

The European Parliament Petitions Committee has scheduled the discussion of the Qui-si-sana residents' petition for Thursday, Alternattiva Demokratika said.

AD European Affairs spokesman Arnold Cassola said his party had placed the plight of the Sliema residents on the EU agenda.

"This is the real added value of EU membership, since residents whose voice is systematically ignored by the Maltese authorities are at least given a fair hearing at EU level."

Professor Cassola added that the committee will be visiting Malta to examine first hand the situation at Qui-si-sana.

AD Sliema councillor Michael Briguglio said the petition was collected over a short time and signed by citizens concerned about the loss of a public garden for the development of a large commercial area and car park.

However, around half the signatories were not residents of Sliema.

"The Qui-si-sana Residents Association had raised this important issue within local, national and European institutions.

It is a pity that while the EU is discussing this issue, the Prime Minister has not yet given an appointment to the Sliema council to discuss it," he said.