While welcoming a court judgement declaring that 12 caravans in Little Armier Bay have no legal title, the Nationalist Party is not committing itself over whether all Armier illegal boathouses and structures should be torn down with immediate effect.
A PN spokesman said yesterday that last Friday’s judgment was the result of an eviction order issued by Lands Department during the previous administration.
Agreement was a letter by PN-led government in April 2003 days before the general election
However, when pressed for the party’s reaction following calls by environmental groups for the Government to pull down the estimated 1,000 illegal boat-houses and caravans in Armier, the PN spokesman declined to comment further.
In what environmental NGOs hailed as a landmark judgment, Mr Justice Anthony Ellul dismissed the argument made by the caravan owners as well as the association representing them, that an agreement drawn up in 2003 offers some form of government guarantee.
The court said this ‘agreement’ was simply a letter by the PN-led government in April 2003, days before the general election. The judgment also said that structures on publicly-owned land along the shore are illegal.
Following the ruling, both the PN and the Labour Party have refused to answer questions on a controversial and politically sensitive issue which has been dragging on for decades. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat reacted by saying he would wait for advice on the ruling before taking any action.
In the run-up to last general election, the Armier association had informed its members that Dr Muscat had committed himself in writing to abide by an agreement signed by Labour MP Joe Mizzi in November 2002.
In this agreement, the PL had promised official recognition to the Armier association, which would enable it to demolish existing boathouses, and the construction of ‘beach rooms’.
In addition, the company would be bound to construct extra units for those wishing to own one, and others which could be hired out. On the other hand, the government would provide basic utilities and construct roads.
Meanwhile negotiations with Parliamentary Secretary Michael Farrugia are continuing, with the association optimistic of reaching an agreement.
On the other hand, the PN administration too had been criticised for taking a lenient approach, so as not to jeopardise its electoral sup-port, especially after securing the 2008 general election with a wafer-thin majority.
In a vague statement issued just days before the election, the PN government had said that a solution would only emerge after consulting those directly involved.