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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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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.

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

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?

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...

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?

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