12 January 2008 Rating 9% One Comment  

Gozo's last remaining medieval chapel is in imminent danger of total collapse unless restoration is undertaken immediately, Alternattiva Demokratika has again warned. AD said that in spite of several appeals by the media, a number of citizens and NGO's who work towards safeguarding our national patrimony, the Gozo Minister has remained silent and no action has been taken to safeguard this medieval chapel with the result that one of its major walls has now collapsed. "The chapel of St. Cecilia is the only medieval chapel left in Gozo and is situated on the way to the abandoned, pilfered heliport. During the past years a number of reports in the press have called for the Gozo Ministry to take urgent action and restore this patrimony, the Gozo heritage NGO 'Wirt Ghawdex' has in fact been trying to bring pressure to bear on the authorities for the past eleven years, but no action has ever been taken to prevent this unique national heritage from being destroyed." Spokesperson for AD Gozo Regional Committee, Mr Victor Galea said "It is useless for the Ministry for Tourism and the Ministry for Gozo to talk about niche tourism for culture and heritage whilst allowing such historical landmarks to become dilapidated in front of their very own eyes. Alternattiva Demokratika in parliament will work to bring all forces together to work towards the interest of the country and not just to the interest of one particular individual who thinks he is above the law. If none of the Ministries is ready to spend 23,000 Euros to restore this monument then at least the Gozo Minister should entrust such a site to NGOs such as Wirt Ghawdex. The least the Minister can do is to help to facilitate the process of expropriation even though she might lose a vote or two. The expenses needed to restore this heritage site are going to increase if no immediate action is taken and we Gozitans are not going to swallow this as another excuse for not doing anything." "It is no excuse either that the Ministry keeps saying that it is still studying this case after so many years of total neglect. We have also never heard of any particular pressure from the Ghajnsielem local council whose confines the site falls under. It is also a pity that the party in opposition is asleep over such matters which are of such interest to the nation. We cannot continue risking the tourist sector, which so many Gozitans rely upon, Gozitans demand action and not more words." AD chairperson Dr. Harry Vassallo said that AD acknowledges the importance of our patrimony and national heritage, "rhetoric alone does not help to safeguard the environment, or such historical and natural assests we have around Gozo and Malta. Voters can be assured that a vote to the Green Party is a vote to secure such assets for the common good of our nation."