Some months ago, while walking by the site of the old Opera House in Valletta, a foreigner asked me what those ruins represented. I had to explain that that was the Teatru Rjal which was destroyed by enemy bombing during World War II, 66 years ago! It is very embarrassing to explain that following the fall of the Berlin Wall less than 20 years ago, Germany's capital was rebuilt to pristine glory, that Prague was given a facelift with its palaces and old houses restored, and yet the Opera House in Valletta is still in ruins. We are still discussing what to build on this site.

At long last the present Administration, led by Lawrence Gonzi, decided that this site should be built by the government and should be ready in four years' time. I call this a courageous decision. I am sure that again we will have 400,000 ideas and 400,000 solutions for this site. In 1955, that is more than 50 years ago, the foundation stone of the Opera House was to be laid but there was a change of government and everything remained as it was. Subsequently one Maltese government after the other produced plans for this site but these were always met with mixed feelings and controversies. I am also sure that the government, after hearing everybody, will go on with the business of rebuilding this site.

This site will now house Malta's Parliament. This is a good idea not only because at the Palace the members of Parliament do not have the space and the facilities befitting the elected representatives of the people, but also because the seat of the President of Malta and that of Parliament should not be under the same roof.

The government decided also to rebuild the entrance to Valletta and to give a facelift to Fort St Elmo. The rebuilding of the site of the Opera House, the restoration and restructuring of Fort St Elmo and a new entrance to our capital city are projects that should form an axis that cuts through Republic Street and further up towards the Christ the King monument into Floriana. This would open up Valletta and Floriana to the local population and to tourists.

All these projects, together with the restoration of the Valletta bastions, form part of an economic plan that will definitely contribute towards maintaining economic growth at a time of international recession. But these projects will also contribute towards a better tourism project which is Malta's major industry. They will give our capital city the boost it deserves.

Over 60 years are more than enough for the Opera House site to be rebuilt. Now is the time. Let us start and have the project ready by April 7, 2012 that is the 70th anniversary of its destruction by enemy bombing.

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