Moreover, when asked whether the PN will vote in favour of the petition when it is heard by the parliamentary petitions committee, he said that the party must still read the document before it can take a final decision on it.

In response to this, the activists urged Grech 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 apublic park.”

The NGOs further argued that the petition does not represent a beautiful dream, “but an attainable one”.

“The campaign stems from the fact that the concession between the Government and MIDI for Manoel Island has not been honoured 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.”

Therefore, the campaign is urging the government to honour this contract and reach an agreement with MIDI to find the “most favourable solution for all, primarily for the common good”.

MIDI has previously said that claims that the concession could be terminated are “false and misleading”.

The company has defended its position by outlining the current development timeline, revised plans and public space commitments.

The developer stated that delays to the project were justified and permitted under the original agreement, particularly due to archaeological discoveries, planning appeals, and the requirement for a Heritage Impact Assessment which is currently underway.

The campaign – Manoel Island Post Għalina – is made up of was started by Moviment Graffitti, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar as organisers, and 40 other supporting NGOs

What do you think of Grech’s statements?