A lot of nonsense has been written on Astrid Vella and the FAA. The impression that we have been given on the FAA, is that it is some kind of an anarchist movement with the sole purpose in life to destabilize the government (soon enough comparisons with le brigade Rosse will be drawn). I believe the sensible person can distinguish the reasonable argument from the hysterical one. (Can they?)
The FAA is an environmental NGO, which based its concern on a report, compiled by a number of experts in their own field, which was not made public by the Cathedral foundation. The report is now on the FAA website. Had the FAA gone all freaky wild because they would have preferred pink to blue curtains, then the hysteria would have been somehow justified but the FAA were right to complain.
Indeed, the FAA was not alone with its reservation. Several PN MPs did not agree with the project, among them two former ministers. If this was not enough, the Archbishop had also shown his reservation on the excavations; so much so that the motives behind the u-turn (because it is a u-turn) was precisely because the Archbishop objected to such a project.
The list goes on: Valletta Local Council was advised by its architect that the proposals may pose an “unacceptable risk”. The Catholic Heritage Commission and the Chapter of St John’s Co-Cathedral also voiced their concern on the project with MEPA.
So really, why all this hate on the FAA and on Astrid? I suspect because after all, they are easy-target. The vile can’t be addressed to the Archbishop – that would be nasty. It can’t be directed to the PN mp’s either – that would continue to accentuate how divisive the government actually is. The Labour? Even so, what the Labour did was to move a motion for the government to withdraw its support (which brings the questions, is the co-Cathedral an independent foundation? Is it an NGO after all?). Hardly dramatic. If it became dramatic it was because the project is in itself controversial. The sceptical person is bound to raise an eyebrow on such a project.
So let us face it, the FAA did not stop the project, it was a widespread perception that the project was wrong. Think about it, it is an excavation beneath the St. John’s square.
So isn’t this a clear case of an NGO being intimidated to either toe the line or shut up?
After everything was said and done, it comes down to a waste of time. Now, the next big project which the government has in mind is to house the House of Parliament on the ruins of the Old Opera House.
