Following the decision of the First Hall of the Civil Court regarding the application filed by Alternattiva Demokratika (AD) and 64 residents to try and prevent MEPA from allowing development on the recently extended building zones, Dr Harry Vassallo, Chairperson for AD said "this is only a temporary setback at an extremely early stage of the legal process we have started, challenging the legality of the rationalisation exercise.

"We are not at all discouraged by it. The decision given this week relates solely to whether the residents can stop MEPA at this stage, and not whether they are right or wrong about their assertions. That will be seen during a lawsuit which AD and the residents have filed and which will be decided upon by a different judge and after different procedures" Dr. Vassallo said.

"AD and the residents have full confidence that during this lawsuit we will be able to prove that the hasty and shoddy way in which the building zones were extended was not in conformity with EU regulations and is another example of how the Nationalist Government continues to deny its people the EU dream. This lawsuit is an opportunity for us to show that rules must be followed by all, even by a government desperate to stay in the construction lobby's good books" Dr Vassallo added.

Mr. Ralph Cassar, AD spokesperson for environment and energy said that "the way in which Maltese and Gozitan citizens from all over the island have come together to try and see that EU laws are upheld should be admired and praised and not ridiculed - as has been done by the Nationalist media which has gone overboard trying to portray this court decision as some kind of death blow to the citizens' cause."

Dr Vassallo reiterated that "AD will continue acting in the residents' interest, not that of the construction lobby. It will continue to fight for their rights in the lawsuit and before the European Court if necessary."