EU funds: Cristina must resign - PL insists

Opposition education spokesman Evarist Bartolo this morning demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dolores Cristina in the wake of the inquiry report on the EU suspension of funds for education programmes.

Speaking at a press conference this morning, Mr Bartolo described Mrs Cristina as "the worst education minister in 20 years" and said it was very difficult to believe that she had not known what was going on as the EU repeatedly complained about the administration of the education programmes.

"If she really did not know, the situation is even worse, and the least the Prime Minister can do is to re-assign the education portfolio," Mr Bartolo said.

He complained that Mrs Cristina had also failed in other sectors of education, including the long-pending new law on higher education and other issues such as those involving kindergarten assistants.

Mr Bartolo said that the minister had got rid of many good people within her ministry and only worked with 'her people', something she actually boasted about. Mrs Cristina, Mr Bartolo said, was 'Malta's Giovanna'.

Labour spokesman Owen Bonnici said persons at a lower level should also be held to account, including the minister's son, who works in the programmes agency.

Referring to the report published last night, Mr Bartolo said that it was not just the three officials indicated in the report who should assume responsibility. The people who had drawn up the report had done so in a serious manner, but the report writers should have included a retired judge with the independence and the clout to call for responsibility higher up.

He also noted that the report revealed the 'anger' of Malta's permanent representative to the EU, Richard Cachia Caruana, who had been embarrassed because he had not been kept informed by the ministry of what was going on.

Mr Bartolo said the Opposition was considering filing a parliamentary motion of no confidence in Mrs Cristina.