The Nationalist Party insisted this morning that no part of Zonqor should be touched by development.

It was reacting to the prime minister's comments that the campus of the new university may be split - part would be in Zonqor and another part on another site in the south of Malta.

The original plan was for all the campus to be sited at Zonqor.

The PN said that by his comments, Dr Muscat was being stubborn. Quoting a Maltese saying it said the prime minister għandu ras taż-żonqor.

Giving the go-ahead for development at Zonqor would mean that the government was ignoring the people's outcry and the biggest environmental protest ever held in Malta, the PN said. It was therefore ironic that Dr Muscat had made his comments in an activity called Gvern li jisma - a government that listens.

Zonqor was earmarked in Mepa plans for a nature park, and that, alone, should be sited there the party said.