Valletta is unlike any other locality in Malta, with a strong “sense of community” felt by both residents and visitors, mayor Alexiei Dingli believes.

Interviewed by The Sunday Times of Malta two months after Valletta assumed the title of European Capital of Culture, Prof. Dingli said that this great sense of community was enjoyed by both the residents who have lived there all their lives as well as those just moving to the capital.

This, he said, was also why he believed a memorial for slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia should be located in Valletta.

“I think that it’s justified to have her memorial here. Valletta has to send that message. Here we have the head of State, the Prime Minister and the courts. If not in Valletta, then where?”

“If you look at other countries, these things are always in the capital cities, and so I think that we need to look at Valletta from that perspective,” the mayor said.

Last week, the makeshift memorial made headlines again after its flowers and candles at the foot of the Great Siege Monument across from the law courts were removed in the dead of night. That same evening a group of activists held a vigil to once again place flowers and candles in remembrance of Ms Caruana Galizia.

The location of the memorial, which has for months been stirring controversy, as some insist on it being removed, is not, however, the only issue the mayor is struggling with as the capital sees more people visiting than ever before.

While there have been efforts to ensure that the community living in Valletta is part of the regeneration process, with the mayor singling out the abattoir and the museum of art, MUŻA, as examples of this, Prof. Dingli pointed out that there were still issues that impacted residents and have yet to be addressed.

“These programmes will make a difference, but then there are others where the community is completely detached.

“Take, for example, Strait Street, which is a problematic street. This is the case with practically all the streets where there is some form of entertainment. Unfortunately, in Valletta we want to have a certain type of entertainment. We’re not being elitist, far from it, but we think that, for instance, a certain type of music is more fitting than other types,” Prof. Dingli said.

I think it’s justified to have [Daphne Caruana Galizia’s] memorial here. Valletta has to send that message

According to the mayor, the setting is crucial in Valletta, as many who visit expect “a baroque place and not to listen to a concert”. He added that in some areas the music is so loud that people cannot hold a proper conversation.  “We understand that Strait Street is a place of entertainment but we need to keep the residents in mind, as they have no choice but to live there.

READ: Strait Street's lower end to get a makeover

“If there were stricter regulations, we would be able to address certain loopholes that exist in the law. This is the case with premises having permits for music inside their establishments and as long as this does not spill out on to the streets, they are fine,” Prof. Dingli said.

He added, however, that there is nothing in the law about the noise patrons make when they move outside and into the street. With more bars and restaurants setting up shop in Valletta, he went on, the problem is no longer confined to Strait Street and the vicinity.

While more people were choosing to visit Valletta in the evenings, the number of police officers patrolling the area has not increased, he said.  Wardens too were lacking at night, as none are sent to walk the city beat.

To better address certain issues, enforcement officers from different authorities should monitor Valletta and ensure that regulations are adhered to.

“Strait Street is the only street in Malta where a plan for the way the tables and chairs should be laid out was drawn up, but nobody follows this plan. If all enforcement directorates in this country do their job and monitor these things, that would solve the issue,” the mayor insisted.

On projects like the Valletta market, is-Suq tal-Belt, which he believes was a “missed opportunity”, the mayor insists that the people of Valletta have basic needs like all other communities which are not being met despite the new projects.

“Our residents, with the majority being elderly, have basic needs too. The suq of the past was a central market where they could get all their daily essentials. At present there isn’t a fish shop in Valletta, for instance, and that is why the project is a missed opportunity, because it does not address these needs,” the mayor said.

On whether Valletta 2018 embodied European values through culture, as was expected, Prof. Dingli said that more could be done in this area.

“I think we took democracy for granted and we assumed that it’s normal, but it’s not. It is something you have to nurture. That is where we are lacking, and as a country we need to highlight that more.

“Valletta 2018 should put this on the national agenda through culture. I don’t think enough is being done to address this and I wish there was more debate in general, as we seem to still shy away from it.”

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