His land, his party, his election... again

He was the protagonist of last year's general election campaign in its final week and made another uninvited appearance at a press conference yesterday for the same reason: Mistra.

Nationalist backbencher Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando yesterday stood and watched as Alternattiva Demokratika held a press conference in Mistra just hours before he hosted a party there for a PN candidate in the European Parliament elections.

Dr Pullicino was seen sipping from a tea cup, wearing a yellow and grey-striped T-shirt and sunglasses, standing behind a rubble wall on his land - he was granted a permit to hold the party last week - behind the AD officials who gathered on the public road.

AD spokesman for Sustainable Development Carmel Cacopardo said that a party at Mistra, which was part of a Natura 2000 site, was in breach of the EU Habitats directive. He said AD would be asking the EU to investigate the matter.

"I cannot understand how 11 months ago the Malta Environment and Planning Authority withdrew the application for an open-air disco on the same site on the premise that it was not compatible with the habitats directive and today it is granting a permit when nothing has changed," Mr Cacopardo said.

He added that the one-off permit could be an excuse to create a precedent so the site would be used at least once a year to host parties.

The land at Mistra was a special area of conservation. According to the directive, the only activity that could be carried out on site was what was necessary for its management.

However, a Mepa spokesman rebutted AD's claims insisting the Habitats Directive stated that the authorities must not permit activities or development that could threaten the integrity of the sites.

"All other activities may be permitted. This is a very important and relevant point for Malta given that, for example, practically all beaches are Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). Applying the interpretation put forward by Alternattiva Demokratika, all beaches should be declared as no-go areas, given that swimming, BBQs, and so on are certainly not necessary for the management of the sites," the Mepa spokesman said.

He added that the permit for the party was issued subject to a number of conditions and only after Mepa ascertained there would be no negative impact on the animal species and habitats on the site. The permit carried with it a bank guarantee of €10,000.

However, Mr Cacopardo insisted that a site with special status had to have a management plan that identified what the environmental issues were and how they could be tackled.

"Mepa's reaction does not justify its own change of heart when barely 11 months ago the same authority cancelled the permit to build a disco on site," he said.

Meanwhile, AD chairman Arnold Cassola said it was "arrogant" for Dr Pullicino Orlando to hold a party on the same site that was at the heart of much controversy last year and for Mepa to issue the permit.

The party organised for MEP candidate Alex Perici Calascione was held last night and the Prime Minister did not attend despite being invited.

Earlier in the week a spokesman for the Nationalist Party said Lawrence Gonzi was not attending because of the PN's "policy" with regards to MEP candidates, which dictates the party leader would attend only one event per candidate.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com