Limit number of visitors to Comino proposes BirdLife ahead of election

Mar 21 2022

BirdLife Malta published 10 electoral requests ahead of the 26th of March election, one of which states that the government should introduce a limit on the number of visitors to Comino.

The NGO said that in order to reduce pressure on the island between Malta and Gozo, the number of visitors should be limited. ‘It is high time that this issue is tackled and solutions found in order to eliminate the degradation in certain parts of the island.’

The proposal was accompanied by other calls, including a call to have ODZ land treated s such and that no person or entity should be allowed to develop on such sites.

BirdLife Malta also highlighted a difference between ‘environment’ and ‘nature’. The NGO said that it is crucial to understand that while taking care of pavements, urban open spaces and sustainable development is necessary, it has nothing to do with nature.

The NGO said that natural habitats’ biodiversity need stronger conservation and protection. ‘We demand that bird protection is not removed from the rest of biodiversity, which is within the remit of the Environment Ministry and the Environment and Resources Authority.’

Apart from this, the NGO proposed an end of bird trapping, a stop to spring hunting, an establishment of no hunting zones, more green spaces set at schools as well as NGOs in Malta being given the possible opportunities to be involved in consultation and decision making when it comes to environment and nature related issues.

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36-year-old man hospitalised after car incident

Mar 21 2022

A 36-year-old man was hospitalised Monday morning after getting hit by a car in Triq is-Sur, Fgura.

Preliminary investigations showed that the man was hit by an Opel Insignia driven by a 36-year-old woman from Fgura at around 9:15am. The victim’s nationality is still to be identified.

The woman also hit a parked Toyota Aygo which was situated nearby. The man was administered first aid on the site of the accident before being taken to Mater Dei where he was certified for his injuries.

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PN calls to cancel illegal prisoner votes as some were ineligible

Mar 21 2022

The Opposition has called on the Electoral Commission to cancel voting which was held last Saturday at the prisons as part of the run-up for the general election.

The Nationalist Party said that several prisoners appeared to have taken part in the voting even though they are not eligible to vote. The call was spearheaded by PN general secretary Michael Piccinino in a letter to the Chief Electoral Commissioner.

He observed how in terms of the law, people sentenced to more than a year imprisonment are not eligible to vote. The Court registrars on the island are obliged to notify the electoral commission every month of prison inmates sentenced for more than a year in jail.

Piccinino wrote that ’it is manifestly clear, as will result to the commission, that the list of some 180 persons issued by the Electoral Commission included several names of persons ineligible to vote, and the Electoral Commission took no action to stop them from voting.’

He said there are clear shortcomings by the commission and the court registrar that vitiated last Saturday’s electoral process. The chief electoral commissioner was thus asked to cancel last Saturday’s vote and to hold it once more after the list of eligible voters was updated. The PN reserved the right to take the matter to the Constitutional Court.

This follows the Electoral Commission handing the delegates of the political parties a list of prison inmates set to vote in the early election on March 16th. The PN delegate on the same day informed the commission that at least one inmate had not been removed despite being ineligible to vote as he had been sentenced to a jail term of more than 10 years. The party also pointed out that, is the case mentioned, there could be other prisoners who were not entitled to vote. The voting went ahead regardless.

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Labour not proposing abortion responds party to vague clause

Mar 21 2022

After some pro-life organisations raised concerns that the Labour Party was proposing abortion due to a ‘vaguely-worded clause’ in the manifesto, the party issued a clarification in reply to confirm it was not proposing.

This comes in reply to pro-life LifeNetwork Foundation’s accusations after they sent questions to the prime minister last week. They wanted Robert Abela to clarify that the party was not proposing abortion as a clause seemed to ambiguously infer abortion rights.

Proposal 506 of Labour’s electoral manifesto, lists under the subhead Sexual Health in all of its diversity, says that a Labour government will update the sexual health policy in the shortest possible time. The new policy will ‘reflect today;’s realities with regards to health, sexual and reproductive rights, in all of their diversity.’

The party said that the prime minister’s position on the subject ‘was made very clear in a press release issued by the PL in May 2021 and remains consistent.’ The party had at time reported that the prime minister was against the legalisation of abortion but he believed that he needed to carefully follow the public discussion.

This also follows demanded assurances last week by Doctors for Life Foundation over the wording of the manifesto proposals regarding abortion and euthanasia. The PL clarified that despite it having suggested the start of a national discussion on the introduction of voluntary euthanasia, it was not pledging to make the practice legal if re-elected to government and there were still different views on the matter within the party.’

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