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The Qui-Si-Sana saga reveals a great divide between the government and the citizen.
The saga started no less than six years ago when a development brief was circulated, followed by the holding of public consultations in the following summer. The residents objected to the massive increase in traffic, which the project was likely to create. The major problem arising is that there was no response to the original tender and when a second tender was issued there were major changes in the brief including an increase in commercial development.
The crux of the matter is that this brief was not issued publicly and fresh applications were accepted on the basis of this brief. This lack of transparency irked the residents no end. The insistence of government, aided by party control of the local council, to go ahead with the project in spite of the objections of the residents, is having its political toil. It is amazing how all this is taking place on the eve of a local council election in a blue neighbourhood. It is exactly this kind of running roughshod over citizens, that is leading to a deep and profound alienation of politics. It is time for government to listen to the legitimate concerns of the residents.
There is unfortunately a growing belief that when citizens are asked for their opinions, the voicing of their opinion makes little difference. Perception is that government’s mind is already made up and the call for consultations is just a smokescreen.
Qui-Si-Sana, by any stretch of the imagination, is a densely populated residential area, and the arguments in favour of it remaining residential are overwhelming. It is the only remaining open space in Sliema. Other car parks in the area are being retained and indeed expanded. The necessity of yet another car park is questionable. The residential area has to date had all the characteristics of a quiet, albeit densely populated community life, likely to erupt once the area explodes commercially. It may be easy to accuse the residents of being driven by the not-in-my-backyard syndrome, but the reality remains that they risk losing their quiet neighbourhood.
The objections of the citizens are falling on deaf ears and count for little. Development reigns supreme.
The citizens are right to feel let down by their elected council, which is showing a lack of political will to put their interests before the interests of the party. Merely hiding behind the ‘no objection so long as in keeping with the development plan’ is renouncing their duty to fight to protect the residents.
This is a far cry from the days eulogising local councils as the new defenders and upholders of the rights of the local community. We honestly believed that with the advent of local councils, citizen’s rights would not only be upheld but would blossom. We believed that they would encourage the local community to take control of their lives. Centralised government would be a thing of the past. We were encouraged that governments were coming round to realising that they could not do everything themselves. Local groups would blossom, the voluntary sector would slowly take a bigger role and that there would be a radical shift in the role of the state in
people’s lives.
This indeed was to be the culmination in the Europeanisation of Malta. This is the crux of what Europe is all about. This indeed is one of the most positive political innovations of the Nationalist party. With the passage of time it is clear that in the case of the Qui-Si-Sana neighbourhood, the expectations of the residents have not been fulfilled.
The mishandling by government of this project risks having dire political consequences. It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister refused to meet the residents and that no formal meetings have taken place with any minister. Government risks throwing its own core voters into the lap of the third party posturing as the new home for disillusioned Nationalists. Switching one’s vote at local level appears a safe option in a mid-term period. The Nationalist party should take heed that by going ahead with an unpopular project political fallout is inevitable. The great divide is widening. Our paper stands four square behind the residents.
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