Meta ħadd ma jkun qed jagħti każ

 

 

Meta kważi ħadd ma jkun qed jagħti każ, nhar il-Ġimgħa 14 t’Awwissu 2015, waranofsinnhar, il-Gvern ippubblika żewġ emendi għar-regolamenti li jikkonċernaw il-bini.

Jidher li l-iskop ta’ dawn l-emendi hi li żvilupp li jsir fil-konfini tal-isptarijiet ta’ Għawdex, Mater Dei, Monte Carmeli, St Luke’s u San Vinċenż, ma jkunux jirrikjedu permess sakemm dan l-iżvilupp ikollu x’jaqsam ma kura medika.

Ir-regolamenti li ġew emendati huma tnejn: dawk imsejħa DNO, jiġifieri L-Ordni dwar in-Notifikazzjoni dwar Żvilupp, u r-regolamenti tal-EIA.

L-ewwel emendi, dawk għad-DNO jistabilixxu li żvilupp li għandu x’jaqsam ma sptarijiet hu permess mingħajr ħtieġa la ta’ applikazzjoni u l-anqas ta’ notifika.

It-tieni sett ta’ emendi għar-regolamenti tal-EIA jeżenta żvilupp fl-isptarijiet li semmejt iktar il-fuq minn EIA.

 

Dawn l-emendi saru mingħajr diskussjoni u mingħajr l-ebda konsultazzjoni nhar l-14 t’Awwissu 2015 meta bosta jkunu bil-vakanzi.

Ifissru li dak li jagħmel il-Gvern fl-isptarijiet, issa, l-MEPA m’għandha l-ebda kontroll fuqu. Il-Gvern qed jagħti lilu innifsu l-awtorita li jagħmel li jrid u b’hekk qed idawwar l-arloġġ lura għal qabel l-1992 meta għall-ewwel darba l-Gvern beda hu ukoll japplika għall-permessi tal-bini.

Mela fejn jidħlu l-isptarijiet il-Gvern qed ipoġġi lilu innifsu il-fuq mil-liġi. Għalfejn? It-tweġiba għalija hi ovvja: għandu żewġ proġetti għall-isptar t’Għawdex u St Luke’s li dwarhom wasal f’xi forma ta’ ftehim ma’ żviluppaturi barranin u dak li ftiehem irid iwettqu mingħajr ma jindaħallu ħadd.

 

 

Voting at the Hospitals and Retirement Homes: (1) Introduction

On Monday morning together with Professor Arnold Cassola on behalf of Alternattiva Demokratika I had a meeting with the Chief Electoral Commissioner who was accompanied by the Commission’s Secretary. The point at issue were recent amendments to the General Elections Act (through Act XIV of 2012) which set out the framework for the running of general elections in retirement homes and Hospitals.

Retirement homes to which the amendments apply must have at least fifty resident voters and must be run by the state. This means that only one retirement home, St Vincent de Paul  Residence, is targeted. Ther retirement homes which though owned by the state are run by the private sector (Zejtun and Mellieħa homes) are excluded.

Likewise when it comes to the hospitals it will be the state hospitals which will be subject to the recent amendments. These are four in number, namely Mater Dei Hospital, Karen Grech Hospital, Mount Carmel Hospital and the Gozo General Hospital.

Twenty four hours after the publication of the writ establishing the date of the general elections the Electoral Commission shall form a sub-committee which shall be chaired by a Commissioner together with a representative of each of the political parties. Alternattiva Demokratika shall participate in this sub-committee and I shall be its representative.

In terms of these latest amendments to the General Elections Act the Electoral Commission shall delegate to the above-mentioned sub-committee the running of the general election  in retirement homes and hospitals.

to be continued : tomorrow (2) The draconian powers of the sub-committee