Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/860911
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 13 AUGUST 2017 3 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K News DENISE GRECH NATIONALIST MP Chris Said was heckled by protestors yes- terday, as they insisted that Pem- broke land remain undeveloped. The PN leadership contender was flanked by members of vari- ous local councils as activists surrounded them, insisting that the Pembroke land, which is now being proposed for the Chiswick House School, should have been protected under PN rule. The school has announced it is moving from Kappara Road to a school to be built on a previously unoccupied area. The decision has had locals up in arms, and a march protesting the develop- ment took place last week. During a particularly heated discussion, a local councillor said: "The Labour Party has made €10 million from this land!" but a protestor promptly replied: "I'm more Nationalist than you are! I was a Nationalist before you were even born!" A dumbfounded Said held the protestor back, trying to keep the peace. Addressing the media, Said re- ferred to Australia Hall, a run- down Pembroke structure that he said "is falling apart day by day". A resident interrupted him again. "Australia Hall has been falling apart for a long time. Why didn't the PN do anything about it when it was in government?" Protestors were demanding an explanation as to why their pleas to include the land in ODZ areas had not been heard. The Chis- wick school development could have been avoided a long time ago, they said. Free, at last, to continue his press conference, Said explained that next year will mark the 25th anniversary since the introduc- tion of local councils and he said that, under his leadership, the PN would continue to solidify its position and representation in all localities. He said he would create a post of director within the party's ranks to coordinate the parliamentary agenda with the administrative work within local councils. PN councillors would hold regular meetings with the party's section committee in their locali- ties to better coordinate the local work with the residents. Said said that the PN would also start holding an annual nation- al conference to discuss issues of particular relevance to local councils and to offer professional training in local governance to all PN councillors and candidates in local council elections. He said that he would carry out his duties as leader of the party from a different locality for one day each week, which would bring him closer to the residents and local organisations. Said said that the PN would also promote the issues of waste man- agement and security, vowing to reintroduce neighbourhood watches and effective tourism po- licing if elected to government. Pembroke residents hijack Said press conference The leader of the Democratic Party said she would not be contesting the party's leadership – or any other post – at the upcoming AGM PAUL COCKS MARLENE Farrugia, leader of the Democratic Party, has announced she will not be contesting the par- ty leadership again at the party's October annual general meeting. In a post on Facebook, Farrugia said she would also not be con- testing any other post but that she would continue to contribute to the party. As first revealed to MaltaToday two weeks ago, Farrugia said she would be "focusing on other chal- lenges in my life". On 31 July, Farrugia said that, if it were up to her, she would not contest the leadership of the PD next time round, preferring to fo- cus on her parliamentary respon- sibilities and personal interests. "I believe other capable people should have the space and oppor- tunity to help this party achieve what the people need to reacquire faith in Maltese politics," she wrote on her post today. Farrugia was elected to Parlia- ment in the last election together with her partner, Godfrey Far- rugia, on the Nationalist Party ticket, under the Forza Nazzjonali umbrella. The couple were for- merly Labour MPs, with Marlene Farrugia breaking away from La- bour and setting up the Demo- cratic Party late last year. Godfrey Farrugia also parted ways with Labour a month before the June 3 general election. He had been party whip. The couple were the first MPs from a third party to make it to the House of Representatives in decades – the small parties were eliminated at the 1971 general election, when only National- ist and Labour candidates were elected. In her post, Farrugia invited friends and followers to a party at her residence in Qrendi tonight at eight. Anyone wishing to contest any of the party posts in the upcom- ing AGM would need to have at- tended at least two of the three social gatherings planned in the interim. Marlene Farrugia not to seek re-election as PD leader 78-year-old dies in Bahrija car accident A 78-year-old woman from Rabat died yesterday afternoon, the third victim of accidents on Malta's roads in less than 12 hours. A Toyota Corsa, driven by a 50-year-old woman from Rabat, had crashed into a parked Land Rover on Triq Bieb ir-Ruwa in Bahrija. The 78-year-old, who was a passenger in the same car, was killed by the impact. Duty Magistrate Aaron Bugeja launched an inquiry. Elderly man killed in road accident A traffic accident in Marsa early morning on Saturday left a 72-year- old man dead after being run over by a vehicle. Police said they were informed at around 7am that there had been an accident in Aldo Moro Street. Upon arriving on the scene, they determined that the elderly man had been run over by a Citroen Cactus, driven by a 37-year-old man from Zabbar. An ambulance rushed the man to Mater Dei Hospital, where he was certified dead on arrival. Briton dead in collision A 20-year-old Briton dies in the early hours of Saturday after being involved in a head-on collision with an ambulance in Selmun. Police said they were informed about the accident around 1:20am and went immediately on site where they found that a Daihatsu Sirion had crashed into an ambu- lance, leaving one of the youngest passengers in the car dead. The ambulance, which was be- ing driven by a 55-year-old man from Mosta, was at the time car- rying a 38-year-old woman from Saint Paul's Bay together with an 89-year-old patient from Mellieha who was in the company of her 51-year-old daughter from Mgarr. The victim was travelling with other passengers – all aged between 20 and 29 – and heading from Mel- lieha to Xemxija. He was certified dead on site, while the other pas- sengers, including those in the am- bulance, were taken to Mater Dei Hospital to be treated for injuries.