Manoel Island petition not just a ‘beautiful dream’ but an attainable one, NGO tells PN leader

NGO Moviment Graffitti have hit back at Opposition leader Bernard Grech saying its Manoel Island petition does not merely represent a “beautiful dream”, but an attainable one.

“We urge the Leader of the Opposition to conduct his research to understand why more than 29,000 residents of the Maltese Islands, around 50 organisations, and prominent political figures are supporting the call for Manoel Island to become a public park,” the NGO said.

In comments to the Times of Malta, the Opposition leader said while turning Manoel Island to a national park is a “beautiful dream”, the state must honour it contract with MIDI.

“Without a doubt, we need to take note of what is happening. I’m going to be honest, having a national park would be a beautiful dream, but we also need to consider the obligations that one might have,” Grech said. “We do not ignore anyone, whether it’s one person, whether it’s ten people, or whether its’s 29,000 people. We do not only care about numbers, like the government does when it comes to voting. We genuinely care about everyone’s opinion.”

The NGO also took a dig at the Nationalist leader for saying he still needs to read the 350-word petition launched over two months ago.

“The current campaign for Manoel Island to be returned to the public as a national park stems from the fact that the concession between the Government and MIDI for Manoel Island has not been honored by MIDI. The progress of works at Tigné and Manoel Island has not followed what was stipulated in the contract signed 25 years ago, and the proposed project cannot be substantially completed by March 2026,” the NGO said.

It insisted the campaign is calling on the government to actually honour this contract and reach an agreement with MIDI to find the most favourable solution for all, primarily for the common good.

The petition closed last Sunday with with an impressive 29,041 signatures.

Campaigners said the signatures, which amount to more than 5% of the population, delivered a “strong mandate for action.”

The petition calls on government to return Manoel Island back into public ownership and turn it into a national park.