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The ninth day of the electoral campaign
By MaltaMedia News
Feb 12, 2008 - 10:07:14 PM
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 An eventful ninth day of the electoral campaign saw Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi revealing his intentions of taking personal responsibility for a reform of the Malta Environment Planning Authority and of the environment ministry if the Nationalist Party wins the general elections on March 8.
On this day, we also witnessed various notable candidates presenting their nominations at the Electoral Commission’s office, including Dr Gonzi, Ninu Zammit, Edward Fenech, Leo Brincat, Louis Galea and Norman Lowell.
During a press conference at Maghtab, PM Gonzi declared that a MEPA reform was “crucial” to make it more efficient and transparent. Dr Gonzi also outlined a number of policies within the environmental sector that the PN intended to bring about such as an offshore windfarm, fiscal measures based on the polluter pays principle and to turn Gozo into an eco-island.
This provoked Alternattiva Demokratika, the green party, to call the Prime Minister's conversion to Green priorities as a cheap electoral gimmick since “his track record for the environment belies his promises.”
 "His government will go down in history as the one which illegally extended development zones in 2006, promoted high rise development and relaxed height limitations across the country while dragging its feet on the publication of the 2005 Census results. His government has encouraged the accumulation of 53,000 vacant properties which are a permanent burden on our quality of life and a major threat to the economies of thousands of families owning property and to the Maltese economy as a whole." said the green party’s chairperson, Dr Harry Vassallo.
 In a press conference in front of the Housing Authority, Opposition Leader and Leader of the Malta Labour Party Dr Alfred Sant, stated that a new Labour government will help first-time property buyers by giving them grants and rebates to ease their burdens.
He said that the MLP will introduce schemes to give a 10% grant to those who buy their first home, as long as it’s value does not exceed €116,500 (Lm50,000). A Labour government would also give a subsidy on interest due on property loans, in a way that new home owners’ payable interest rates will not exceed 4.5% a year. All this would add up to about €15,500 (Lm6,600) in rebates for young couples.
Azzjoni Nazzjonali gave a press conference the focus of which were small and medium sized businesses. AN are proposing that company tax, currently at 35%, is cut to 18%. AN stated that small entrepreneurs are not appreciated and that is why there should be parliamentarians from the business sector.
In Tuesday’s evening campaign events Dr Gonzi attended a public debate in Zejtun whereas Dr Sant attended a “That it-Tinda fil-Misrah” debate in Rabat.
On Tuesday, it was also announced that special travel arrangements and air tickets have been made available for voters living abroad and their dependants to enable them to vote in Malta on March 8th.
In the meantime, the Police started distributing voting documents for the local and general elections.
For more details see MaltaMedia's special feature on the 2008 Malta General Elections.
© Copyright 2008 by MaltaMedia.com
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Latest update:
Feb 13, 2008 - 5:17:16 PM CET
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