V18 chairman Jason Micallef said today he had written to Economy Minister Chris Cardona on July 29 expressing his concern about the setting up of monti stalls near the new Parliamentary building.

Addressing a news conference this afternoon, he said the letter had also been signed by the heads of the Manoel Theatre, Heritage Malta, St James Cavalier, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, the Arts Council, and Pjazza Teatru Rjal.

Mr Micallef said he received a reply two weeks later from the monti relocation committee, chaired by Architect William Lewis, informing him that his plea for the stalls to be moved elsewhere could not be accepted.

Mr Micallef said it was at this point that he learnt that the stalls were in the process of being designed.

So he wrote to the committee once again asking to be involved in the design process.  No reply has been forthcoming to date.

The finalised designs, along with the plans to move the monti close to City Gate, had since been condemned by the artistic community, he said.

He appealed for common sense to reign and for monti stalls not to be set up near the new Parliament building.

“We still have time for common sense to triumph and for this decision, which would go against the spirit of the project, not to go ahead,” he said.

He made a "passionate" appeal for projects in Valletta to respect the capital’s old and modern architecture.

Referring to a story in last Sunday’s The Sunday Times of Malta, which said that the government hinted it was bowing to pressure to squeeze all monti stalls into Ordnance Street and curb the controversial spillover across the street beside Valletta’s new parliament building and old theatre ruins, Mr Micallef said he was optimistic Dr Cardona would see reason and reverse the committee’s decision.

Asked what the foundation would do if his pleas were not heard, his reply was “we will cross that bridge when we come to it.”

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