Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/618165
4 PRIME Minister Joseph Muscat and the Labour Party should renege on a pre-electoral agreement with the Armier boathouses lobby and join the "national consensus" against ille- gal boathouses, Front Harsien ODZ said. Earlier this week, Opposition lead- er Simon Busuttil declared he would not be tied down to a deal struck by his predecessors with Armier Devel- opments Limited – a move that was welcomed by environmental NGOs. "The pre-electoral agreements signed by the Nationalist Party in 2003 and 2008 and by the Labour Party in 2002, 2007 and 2013 rep- resented a dark chapter in Malta's political history which saw the two major parties entering into agree- ments with squatters occupying a large tract of public land, thus be- coming accomplices in theft," the Front said. The Front expressed satisfaction that the PN was no longer bound by the 2003 and 2008 agreements which committed the government to hand over 230 tumoli of public land in Armier to Armier Developments Limited on a 65-year lease against an annual payment of Lm157,000 (€350,000). The Front also recognised that Alternattiva Demokratika has con- sistently opposed the occupation of public land at Armier and has never signed any agreement with the lob- by. "It is a shame that the PL is still bound by an agreement signed be- fore the 2013 election which recon- firms an agreement signed in 2002 foreseeing the reconstruction of the village as long as no speculation or destruction of irrigated agricultural land takes place." The Front said that reneging on these pre-electoral commitments was an important first step. This, however, should be followed up by a clear and unequivocal commitment against the occupation of public land by anyone, including the Armier squatters. "What the country needs is a na- tional consensus supported by the PL, the PN, AD and civil society to ensure that all those who occupied public land illegally are served with a notice of eviction and given a reason- able timeframe to vacate the land. "In this way no party will be able to make political capital by support- ing the pretensions of the Armier boathouse lobby. The land should be returned back to the public as an open space for public enjoyment fol- lowing a restoration plan approved by the planning and environment authorities," the Front said. News maltatoday, SUNDAY, 20 DECEMBER 2015 4 News WORKSHOPS ON ONLINE SUBMISSION OF TENDERS FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN GOZO The Ministry for Gozo in conjunction with the Department of Contracts will be organising two workshops in Gozo on the electronic Public Procurement System for economic operators. The workshops will give an opportunity to those attending to familiarise themselves with compiling and submitting their bids online. The workshops will be free of charge and will be held on Friday 8 th January 2016 and Friday 15 th January 2016 between 9:00am and 1:00pm. Interested economic operators are kindly requested to apply by e- mail on procurement.mgoz@gov.mt or by phoning on 2210 0266 between 8:00am and 2:00pm by not later than Monday 28 th December 2015. Front want Muscat to join 'national consensus' against Armier squatters Man dies in quarry accident Imam expresses concern over abduction Some of the illegal Armier boathouses A 53-year-old man from Haz- Zabbar lost his life in a tragic ac- cident yesterday afternoon. It is understood that the worker was operating a mechanical shovel when it toppled over and fell into the quarry in the limits of Rabat. The Police's communications office said the accident happened at around 3pm, at a quarry in the area known as Santa Katerina. Details of the accident remain sketchy. The Police said they re- ceived a call for assistance because a man could have been trapped in the mud under a mechanical shovel. Members of the Civil Protection Department were called in to help pull the man out from under the mechanical shovel. He was certi- fied dead on site. A magisterial inquiry has been appointed. MIRIAM DALLI THE Muslim community in Mal- ta expressed its concern over the abduction of Maltese national Pierre Baldacchino (pictured above) by a militia in Libya. Baldacchino, a 36-year-old manager at Saint James Hospital in Tripoli, was abducted by un- known people in Tripoli earlier this week. In a statement released by Im- am Mohammad Elsadi, the lead- er of the Muslim community in Malta appealed to his kidnappers to release him immediately and unconditionally. Reports in the Libyan media claimed that kidnappers are ask- ing €5 million as ransom for Bal- dacchino's release. "While we are sure that the Tripoli authorities are doing their best to secure Baldacchi- no's safe release, we urge to them to intensify their efforts to free him to be able to come home and join his family for the festive sea- son," the Imam said. "The Libyan and Maltese peo- ple have historically long and excellent relations of mutual respect, friendship and coopera- tion. Thus, such an unfortunate incident remains accidental and individual." He said that the community was praying for the release of Baldacchino and expressed its solidarity with his family, friends, the administration of the hospi- tal and the Maltese people. "May Allah, the almighty pro- tect Baldacchino and bring him back safe and sound," the Imam said. The Maltese government is be- lieved to be involved in trying to help track down the 36-year-old father of two. Baldacchino is the second Maltese man to have been abducted in the Libyan capital in two months.