Why can't we all win?

The saga of the underground extension to St John's Co-Cathedral finally reached its end. The media hailed the winners and trashed the losers. But is this a case of winners or losers?

In a small country where everybody knows each other, where we all come from similar backgrounds, we just want to create differences. This behaviour is typical with village feasts, during which people argue about the same saint.

People of two 'distinct' villages/towns, perhaps a metre or two away, can easily turn from friends to foes in seconds. I would like to reflect on the effect of these events.

When an argument crops up during a village feast, or at a stadium, or anywhere else, who is the winner? The one who is still standing? The one who punches most? In the end, we are all losers.

With the St John's Co-Cathedral proposal, there was a huge controversy on where the extension should have taken place. And I will not reopen Pandora's box. But we are all missing an important issue - that there was a nationwide consensus on the fact that St John's Co-Cathedral really needed a museum extension.

We all agreed this was not a frivolous demand by the foundation. There is a wide scope behind enlarging the museum and creating one of the largest attractions on the island. So, in the end, aren't we all losers if this extension does not occur?

I do not want to imply that the idea of the underground extension is resumed. Far from it. What I'm saying is that it would be a pity if the extension does not materialise, wherever this happens.

Let's try to be constructive. Let's work with the foundation to identify a place that would allow it to extend its museum, share the immense riches it possesses with the rest of us and help make Malta a five-star destination.

Another outcome of this saga is that the government announced that the millions previously allocated to the project will be relocated to tourism-related projects. This is positive, but I hope these millions, or at least a substantial part of them, are still spent on Valletta.

Our capital city needs this investment. Let's not forget that Valletta is a top tourist destination. It is also the most important commercial centre on the island. In a few years' time, it will become the European cultural capital, the centre of the European presidency.

Large projects are planned for Valletta - the rebuilding of City Gate and the Old Opera House site, the uplifting of the Palace and St George's square together with the restoration of Fort St Elmo. The Prime Minister defines these sites as priceless jewels in a necklace. But what is the value of such a masterpiece if the necklace is rusty?

Take a look at the infrastructure of Valletta - a city almost 450 years old. How many intact pavements can you count? The answer is simple - almost none. Is this the city we want to showcase to the four winds of the earth?

I am aware that the government is working on such a project. The Valletta Rehabilitation Committee is in the process of finalising a master plan for Valletta, a large part of which focuses on pavements. But we need to kickstart this project with the millions of euros allocated to tourism going into such an important project.

My appeal is simple. A large number of organisations and individuals got together to halt a project. If you really love Valletta, let's get together to start a project - one which will give the city its former glory and one that will provide a win-win situation for everyone.

Dr Dingli is Valletta mayor.