Siggiewi civic centre inaugurated
Video: Paul Spiteri Lucas
A civic centre has been inaugurated in Siggiewi by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi this afternoon.
The centre is on a site was was occupied by a Labour Party club until August 2010, when the latter was evicted and offered a temporary five-year lease on an adjacent property.
The Lands Commissioner had directed Labour to vacate the building by the end of June but the party later filed a judicial protest claiming the eviction order constituted discrimination.
The club premises had been transferred to the party after a public tender was issued in the 1980s by a Labour government.
The property, formerly known as Villa Siġġiewi, used to belong to Mabel Strickland, daughter of former Prime Minister Gerald Strickland, leader of the Progressive Constitutional Party and editor of The Times between 1935 and 1950.
It was bought by the government in the 1960s and used as a primary school for several years. In 1969, it became a civic centre used by a number of organisations.
In 1981, Labour submitted an offer to lease part of the property. It was leased on December 11, 1981 - the eve of the general election - for Lm200 (€465) a year.
In 1983, other parts of the building became vacant and the government issued a call for those wishing to lease it. These were then also transferred to Labour.
In 1987, a few months before another general election, the government accepted a party request and extended the lease for 24 years, expiring in June 2010.
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Carmel (Nenu) Aquilina
Mar 5th 2012, 11:58
PROSIT KAROL,
Il-Viċi Sindku Karol Aquilina, li welled u mbotta l-proġett sa mill-idea tiegħu kif ukoll mexxa kumitat apposta kompost minn Dr Mark Vassallo, u Joseph Sammut,li ħa ħsieb ix-xogħol, ħabbar li iktar minn 200 anzjan u anzjana kienu diġa' applikaw biex jattendu fiċ-ċentru ta' matul il-jum. Hu qal li minn dejjem emmen fil-ħtieġa tal-proġett.
Il-binja li ħafna anzjani Siġġiwin jiftakruha bħala l-iskola primarja fis-Siġġiewi, u li għal numru ta' snin kienet okkupata mill-Partit Laburista, mit-Tnejn filgħodu tiftaħ il-bibien tagħha kif jixraq bħala l-ewwel Ċentru tal-Anzjani Siġġiwn.
Il-Prim Ministru Dr Lawrence Gonzi faħħar ix-xogħol li sar u ddeskriva l-proġett bħala wieħed importanti ħafna għall-familji u l-komunita' tas-Siġġiewi.
Dan huwa rigal mill-aqwa li vera jimmerita lill-poplu tas-Siġġiewi!
GRAZZI.
A.M. Galea
Mar 5th 2012, 09:00
It is amazing how certain projects is compleated just in time before the council election in that particular place . Good timing makes good propoganda , Mr. Musumeci .
j brincat
Mar 5th 2012, 07:46
When it comes to ribbon cutting with all the pomp and zest nothing beats the PN!
That's is why Dr Franco put them in panic mode because he could have spoilt all their plans to launch the Valletta project even though we do not yet know how this is going to be financed.
Forget the Cottonera project this has now fallen back by many months to the discomfort and dismay of the people in the locality. But who cares what goes there!
(jb)
(jb)
GEORGE CUTAJAR
Mar 4th 2012, 19:35
So it is the real PM who officially inaugurated the premises and not the 'pratikament Prim Ministru'. When push comes to shove it is reality that counts.
Joseph Calleja
Mar 4th 2012, 17:44
Here we go again! Same old story and each time it falls on deaf government ears. So the government can vacate anybody they want but not us property owners of DEREQUISITIONED PROPERTIES from the past? Why is that? Why is a property owner of today allowed to evict his tenants anytime, but us who had REQUISITIONED PROPERTIES BY THE GOVERNMENT IN 1974 cannot evict their squatter tenants before two generations of these squatter tenants die or move away? What kind of laws do we have, and then one wonders when they say our government and our courts are corrupt. As mentioned, there are approximately 70,000 empty apartments so there is no need for the archaic and barbaric law that the government and the courts make us, old property owners abide by. All I am asking for is for what belongs to me and my siblings without any strings attached. My family and I are getting 185 euros a year rent for our house, set by the courts a few years back because, up to then, it was set at 19 Maltese liri a year. Yes you read it perfectly! These rents were set by the government and our courts? It seems that our government takes pleasure in hitting a man when he is down. How pathetic is that? This sort of thing only happens in third world countries. The government and the courts should make it possible for us property owners of REQUISITIONED AND THEN DEREQUISITIONED PROPERTIES to be able to get our properties back. ( Caps are intended to emphasize how archaic these laws are). Will somebody from the government or the courts take notice and maybe take the time to correct such an injustice in my lifetime? Better hurry up, because if nothing is done soon I am sure the heir of this squatter/renter will outlive us all and there goes my dream of getting back my own confiscated property. "THE GOVERNMENT TAKETH AWAY AND THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD GIVE IT BACK." Again any comments from any government representative or other property owners in the same situation can be directed to me at [email protected] . Don't let our heirs suffer because of these archaic and barbaric laws. If Dom Mintoff’s family and others can get their REQUISITIONED/DEREQUISITIONED property back, why can’t the rest of us?
Steve Borg - Marsascala
Mar 4th 2012, 17:32
@Antoine Vella.
Have you forgotten the Nationalist Party Clubs that fall in the same category?
GEORGE CUTAJAR
Mar 4th 2012, 19:33
Mr. Borg please give us an indication of which places you are referring to.
Steve Borg - Marsascala
Mar 4th 2012, 22:23
Paola and Santa Lucia.
Tonio Bone
Mar 4th 2012, 17:19
Without particular reference to this instance, I am one of those who believes Malta should be heavily depoliticized! I believe we are the only country in the EU (not to generalize further) to have television stations fully owned and run by the two major political parties! We also need to reduce the ridiculous number of PN and Labour Clubs spread around the islands.
People need to be involved less in politics and more on developments and growth. We need to change the culture and enter the political mode only during the electoral campaigns.
The best form of political involvement for a citizen is to valuate what the party in power has done and vote according to that assessment. Now that is already difficult in these islands given that dualism is part of our upbringing......but we really should start turning ourselves into a more mature and cultured nation vis-a-vis politics!
Antoine Vella
Mar 4th 2012, 17:06
Property stolen by the Mintoffians is returned to the people.
What about the other requisitioned properties used as Labour clubs?
Noel Abela
Mar 4th 2012, 17:32
what about the PN club in Paola. Can these premises be given back to the people as well.
Tony Busuttil
Mar 4th 2012, 19:12
Profs, how about Paola and tax Xbiex?
Alfred Cassar
Mar 4th 2012, 20:53
ALL should be returned, including the 15 (or whatever the number) Labour PArty clubs and the 1 or 2 PN clubs. All these properties should be returned to the people as soon as the lease expires, and not a day after. Alternatively they pay the commercial fee to lease them properly as they should
Marco Galea
Mar 4th 2012, 17:03
Dawn l-istess nies li jghidu ghall-korruzzjoni:
It was leased on December 11, 1981 - THE EVE OF THE GENERAL ELECTION - for Lm200 (€465) a year.
In 1987, A FEW MONTHS BEFORE ANOTHER GENERAL ELECTION, the government accepted a party request and extended the lease for 24 years, expiring in June 2010.
Carmel Camilleri
Mar 4th 2012, 15:30
Eeverything on the eve of the general election including the 8,000 persons employed with the Government .
Labour Govt extended the lease wor 24yrs without calling for new tenders.
These are the same people who see corruption in everything the Govt does.
It is just simple incredible.
Joseph Calleja
Mar 4th 2012, 19:00
Mr Camilleri, please read my comment. " Min igarrab ikun jaf ", apparently you haven't. As I mentioned in my comment, " The government taketh away and the government should give it back." I don't give a hoot nanny which government taketh or which government give it back, as long as it is given back. In this case, one government is as corrupt as the other. All I want is what is mine, can you understand that?
Schembri Ray
Mar 4th 2012, 15:28
Prosit u awguri. Nispera li qatt ma jerġa jaqa f'idejn xi partit politiku fil-futur. Dak li huwa tal-poplu għandu jibqa' għal użu tal-poplu kollhu.
Steve Borg - Marsascala
Mar 4th 2012, 17:35
@Dak li huwa tal-poplu ghandu jibqa' ghall-uzu tal-poplu kollu"
i
F'liema pajjiz qed tghix habib. Il-Gvern Nazzjonalista kwazi biegh kollox dak li kien tal-poplu. Is-Sea Malta, il-Mid-Med Bank, l-ajruport internazzjonali ta' Malta, id-dghajjes tal-irmonk fil-Port il-Kbir...
Joseph Calleja
Mar 4th 2012, 14:58
Here we go again, same story all over again with usual " NO RESULTS " because what I say falls on deaf ears. So the government REQUISITIONED my father's house at B'Kara because it was being vacated at the time, in 2007the government DEREQUISITIONED.
Leo Said
Mar 4th 2012, 14:50
Best Wishes for a future with significant success.
Awguri.
Victor Laiviera
Mar 4th 2012, 14:46
When will we see a similar ceremony taking place at Paola, when the government-owned building occupied by the PN as club is handed over to the Local Council?
pat muscat
Mar 4th 2012, 21:05
....ta Santa Lucija meta se jinaghata lura lil publiku?
Edward Gatt
Mar 4th 2012, 22:31
Victor, when are you going to get your facts right?
The Paola club was given to the PN after their original premises was taken over by government.
Remember Australia Hall Victor. Is PL going to hand it back to government?
Karen Cauchi
Mar 4th 2012, 14:37
Prosit lil Karol Aquilina li kien l-mohh wara dan il-progett..
Lil kieku ma kienx hu ...kieku dan il-bini ghadu kazin tal-labour ikerrah pjazza.
Imisshom jisthu l-PL li ppruvaw jibqghu iggranfati ma dan il-bini
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