Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/269668
5 DANIEL MIZZI MEP hopeful Therese Comodini Cachia has accused the government of "steamrolling" over the Marsax- lokk and Birzebbugia residents and insisted that the proposed LNG ter- minal is detrimental to the people's safety, their health and the liveli- hood of local fishermen. The floating LNG terminal will see a 215MW gas plant and lique- fied natural gas storage terminal an- chored outside Marsaxlokk Bay. The government had initially pro- posed to store gas in gigantic tanks located on land, but in the wake of vocal criticism by local residents, lobbyists and the Nationalist Party, it opted to use a liquefied gas stor- age vessel anchored to a jetty out- side the Marsaxlokk Bay. However, the PN candidate has insisted that 91% are against the government's proposal because due to safety issues and because it hin- ders the work of the fishermen and the Freeport. Addressing a news conference on board a fishing vessel, Comodini Cachia also argued that the floating terminal would also have an adverse aesthetic impact on the Freeport and the surrounding bay, and that it would hinder economic operations. Asked whether the existing pow- er station and the extension of the Freeport are a bone of contention for the Marsaxlokk residents, Co- modini Cachia argued that the ex- tension of the power station did not affect the view of the Marsaxlokk Bay and that they do not hinder the operations of fishermen or pose a threat to safety. "Notwithstanding the majority of residents voicing their opposition to the project, the government is steamrolling over the residents and insisting on its plan. "Is this the government that lis- tens or is it listening to those issues which play on its own tune?" the MEP candidate argued in a dig at the government endorsing itself as a 'government that listens'. Flanked by a local fisherman, Comodini Cachia accused the gov- ernment of prioritising its political interests over the residents' safety and of "ignoring the fishermen's livelihood". "91% of the residents are calling on the government to anchor the gas storage outside the Marsaxlokk Bay as this would ensure that the visu- als of the bay are not touched, their safety is not threatened and that the fishermen's operations would not be hindered. "Despite endorsing itself as a gov- ernment that listens, Joseph Muscat and his government is not listening to the majority of the Marsaxlokk residents and remains insistent on implementing this hazardous project." Consequently, Comodini Cachia called on the government to con- duct studies on the effects that the LNG terminal would impose on the fishermen and on the Freeport. "It is still unclear whether the LNG terminal would entail the partial closing of the bay while more im- portantly, refuelling vessels would have to be anchored for days." "These would put a severe dent in the fishermen's operations and to the neghbouring Freeport – a move which would see hundreds of fami- lies get the short end of the stick and one which would hinder economic operations," she said. Echoing PN leader Simon Busut- til, the MEP candidate said the gov- ernment is prioritising its political goals over the residents' health and the livelihood of fishermen. "Rather than anchor the LNG ter- minal outside the Marsaxlokk Bay, the government should instead an- chor it outside the Maltese shores as this would alleviate all concerns," she argued. CHRIS MANGION FIVE naturalised Maltese citizens have filed a civil law suit claiming that variations in their identity card numbers from the numbers given to those born in Malta, violate their human rights and have given rise to discrimination against them. Hesham Zayed, Ben Kodra Abdalla Fathi Abdalla, Bodhir Ali Rmadan, Riani Khaled, El Wohashi Elhadi Mo- hammed, were all granted Maltese citizenship over the past years. How- ever the identification number print- ed on their ID card varies from that given to people born in Malta. While the last two digits of IDs belonging to Maltese-born citizens show the year of birth and are followed by the letter 'M', those number given to the plaintiffs shows the year they were registered as Maltese citizens and is followed by the letter 'L'. The five argued that such visible variation on their identity card is causing them difficulties with fully integrating in the Maltese society. "When applying for a job, attend- ing interviews and completing of- ficial forms we are instantly identi- fied as being different citizens," the plaintiff's said. They continued that it is common knowledge that the last two digits are the date of birth, hence looking at an adult whose ID number reads XXXX13(L) instinctively leads to negative discrimination. The laws of Malta state that all Maltese citizens should be treated equally. Furthermore, there is nei- ther legal basis nor a justified con- cern of national interest for such a system. "The authorities should take immediate action and apply the nec- essary changes to the system in order to ensure that naturalised citizens enjoy an expedited and full integra- tion within the Maltese society", they said. The case was filed against the Prime Minister, the Director Public Registry, the Commissioner of Po- lice and the Attorney General. The Prime Minister is the body which nominates the person authorised to issued identity cards. The right to apply visibly distinguishing marks between ID cards issued to natural- ised citizens and those born in Malta discriminatory, and violates the indi- vidual's fundamental rights. The five demanded that the Civil Court find the defendants guilty of violating the plaintiff's rights and or- dered the immediate substitution of the last two digits appearing on the identity card to show the applicants' year of birth and change the letter 'L' to 'M'. Lawyer Etienne Calleja and legal procurator Jean Pierre Busuttil are representing the five applicants. maltatoday, SUNDAY, 2 MARCH 2014 PN candidate accuses government of steamrolling over residents' interests Five claim identity discrimination PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD MEP candidate Therese Comodini Cachia on a small fishing boat in Marsaxlokk where she insisted that the LNG storage terminal is detrimental to residents