Pass tajjeb għalkemm tard kien dak li l-gvern ħareġ regolamenti li jipprovaw jipproteġu liċ-ċittadini minn abbużi li qed jitwettqu b’mod lampanti qrib fejn joqgħodu meta binjiet “qodma” jitwaqqgħu ħalli jittellgħu strutturi ogħla jew usa’ minflokhom. Nittamaw biss li r-regolamenti jitwettqu strettament u bil-galbu, mhux jitħallew fuq il-karta.

Baqa’ ħafna passi oħra li għad iridu jittieħdu biex jikkontrollaw il-konfużjoni papali li naraw kull fejn immorru dwar bini ġdid u qadim. Fuq kollox, dwar l-aċċidenti, anki fatali, li jseħħu fuq binjiet għaddejja. Imbilli jkunu ħaddiema barranin li qed jispiċċaw il-vittmi, żgur li l-aworitajiet ma għandhomx jibqgħu jħarsu n-naħa l-oħra.

Imma wkoll: dan kif kuntrattur jew min ikun, jitlaq biex jibni, u jdum ix-xhur biex ma ngħidx is-snin għaddej, kollox bis-sulluzzu, waqt li joħloq biżibilju ta’ inkonvenjenti għar-residenti? Jew kif xogħlijiet ta’ tħaffir fit-toroq jibdew, jintelqu, u jerġgħu jibdew bla ebda programm, skont kif jaqbillu min qed imexxi x-xogħol? Dawn l-abbużi u oħrajn qed jiġru kullimkien, minn B’Kara, sa tas-Sliema, Ħal-Qormi, B’Bugia u Għawdex. Iż-żejjed kollu żejjed.

***

QISU AĦNA BISS!

Il-Kummissarju dwar l-etika parlamentari ħareġ kontra li deputati jkunu wkoll impjegati tal-gvern bħala persuni ta’ fiduċja jew mod ieħor. Għandu punt.

Biss seta’ poġġa l-argumenti tiegħu f’kuntest aktar wiesgħa – xinhu jiġri fil-bqija tal-Ewropa? Għax altru tgħid li bl-impjieg tad-deputati tan-naħa tal-gvern f’karigi statali, il-vot tagħhom fil-Parlament qed jintrabat. Imma altru tara jekk hux hekk jiġri.

L-istess ilment li qajjem il-Kummissarju Malti, tqajjem kontra l-gvern ta’ Theresa May fir-Renju Unit. Din tat “impjieg” lil għexieren ta’ deputati konservattivi. Ġiet ikkritikata bl-istess argumenti li qajjem il-Kummissarju.

Issa, jekk kien hemm gvern li ma sabx l-appoġġ totali tad-deputati “tiegħu” fl-aħħar sena, kien appuntu dak ta’ May!

***

TSIPRAS

Il-Prim Ministru tax-xellug “estrem” fil-Greċja, Aleksis Tsipras, tilef l-elezzjoni, kif kien mistenni. Anke minnu. Fil-fatt sejjaħha kmieni wara li l-partit tiegħu falla fl-elezzjonijiet Ewropej u dawk muniċipali. Donnu biex jaqta ż-żarda darba għal dejjem.

L-aħħar snin għal min imexxi l-Greċja kienu romblu li jgħaffeġ lil kulħadd taħtu. Hekk ġralu Tsipras: telaq biex jikkontesta r-regoli taż-żona tal-ewro, rebaħ żewġ elezzjonijiet u referendum b’dil-wegħda, u kellu jwettaq ir-regoli bla ħniena. Irnexxielu jżomm l-ekonomija Griega tgħum fil-wiċċ u fiż-żona tal-ewro, imma aċċetta l-istess piżijiet li kien ikkundanna lil ta’ qablu dwarhom. Mhux ta’ b’xejn li min emmen fih, tnaffar.

Talanqas, irnexxielu wkoll fl-interess nazzjonali, “jsolvi” l-problema mal-Maċedonja. Wieħed jittama li dil-kisba ma titħassarx mill-gvern il-ġdid.

Jiddispjaċini għal Tsipras.

English Version – Building regulations

Though the move came late, the government was right to issue regulations that attempt to protect citizens from the abusive inconveniences and worse that are rampantly being inflicted on residents when “old” buildings close to where they live are replaced by higher and more extensive structures. One can only hope that the new rules are strictly and correctly implemented, not ignored.

Many more decisions need to be taken to control the huge confusion one sees wherever works are proceeding on buildings old and new. Above all, with regards to the accidents, some fatal, that regularly happen on building sites. Because most times foreign workers are involved is no reason for the authorities to take things easy.

But also on such matters as: why is it that contractors, no matter who they are, start works, and then keep the site open for months, not to say years, as works are carried out bit by bit, while causing residents all too many inconveniences? Or why is it that road works start, get abandoned, then are given another shot according to the convenience of who is in charge? Such abuses and others are happening all over, from B’Kara to Sliema, Qormi, B’bugia and Gozo. It has gone well past what should be considered acceptable.

***

As if it’s only in Malta!

The Commissioner who oversees parliamentary ethics has come out against the practice by which MPs are also employed by the government as persons of trust or in some other capacity. He has a point.

Still he could have placed his claims in a wider context: what is happening in the rest of Europe? It is one thing to suggest that when government MPs are employed with the state, their vote is getting tied. One could check whether it actually turns out that way.

For the same claim made by the Maltese Commissioner was also raised against Theresa May’s government in the UK which found jobs for scores of Conservative MPs. The same arguments deployed by the Commissioner came up.

Yet if there was a government which failed to get the total support of “its” own MPs, that was precisely May’s government.

***

Tsipras

As expected, Alexis Tsipras, Greek Prime Minister of the “extreme” left lost the general election. He too expected to lose. In fact, he called the election early after his party had lost European and municipal elections. It was as if he wanted to settle the matter of who should be running the country as soon as possible.

For leaders of Greece, events of the past years have been a huge weight crushing all under it. Which is what happened to Tsipras – he took off to contest the rules of the eurozone, won two elections and a referendum on that promise, but then had to relentlessly implement the rules he had pledged to defy. He managed to keep the Greek economy afloat and within the eurozone, while having to accept the same burdens about which he had criticised his predecessors. Unsurprisingly, those who had believed in him, ended up disillusioned.

At least he also succeeded to resolve the Macedonian problem and this in the national interest. One hopes that the achievement is not cancelled by the new government.

One cannot help but feel sorry for Tsipras.

Facebook Comments

Post a comment