Update with PL reply below: “In 1996, a Labour government removed the Ministry for Gozo, under Alfred Sant’s leadership Gozo was relegated to second-class status, with decisions affecting Gozitans taken from Castille,” the Nationalist Party said on Friday. “Under Nationalist Governments, Gozo always had a Minister with a voice in the Cabinet.”

The PN was reacting to a statement from the Labour Party on Thursday on the proposal by PN MP Chris Said that “the powers of the Gozo Ministry should be devolved to an elected Council enjoying executive powers.”

“It was a Nationalist Government that, upon being elected in 1987, immediately fulfilled its main electoral promise to Gozo by appointing the first-ever Minister for Gozo,” the PN said in a statement.

The PN pointed out that “a similar scenario had occurred in the early 1960s when Gozo had its own Civic Council, directly elected by the people and established by a Nationalist Government. Even in this case, the Council was abolished in 1973 by the Labour Government led by Mintoff.”

“Now the PL are trying to claim that a new Nationalist Government would dismantle the Ministry for Gozo,” the PN said.

It added that “Labour seems to have also forgotten that the proposal for Gozo to have a Regional Council, complementing the Ministry for Gozo in formulating regional policies, enjoys the support of Gozitan civil society organisations, which agree that decisions affecting Gozo should be made by Gozitans themselves.”

“What Labour claims to have ‘uncovered’ about the PN’s plans for Gozo has been known for years. The Nationalist Party has long proposed that Gozo should have a Regional Council directly elected by Gozitans. Moreover, Gozo should be recognised as an Island Region in the Constitution to safeguard this regional status permanently,” the PN said.

This promise, the PN said, is clearly outlined in the PN’s recent electoral programmes, including a specific manifesto for Gozo prepared for the 2017 General Election, which states: “Gozo should be defined as an Island Region in the Constitution. To strengthen this new regional status, a process will be launched to establish a Regional Council for Gozo, with broad representation from Gozitan society, representing Gozo in all fora, including the EU, with direct access to European funding. This Council will be responsible for developing long-term policies and vision for Gozo.”

The PN said that Party Leader Bernard Grech reiterated the Nationalist Party’s position that decisions about Gozo should be taken by Gozitans themselves. He emphasised that Gozo should have a Regional Council so that decisions are made by those who truly understand Gozo’s needs.

It added that “the Labour Party should tell us whether they agree that Gozo should become an Island Region and whether the Constitution should be amended to safeguard Gozo’s identity and regional status.”

The PN concluded by saying that “as they did in last June’s elections, Gozitans will once again show Labour that they no longer want to be taken for granted. Instead of a clique in power that only looks after its inner circle – even in Gozo – Gozitans will vote for those who are genuinely ready to defend their interests.”

Labour Party statement

In response the Labour Party said that “itis interesting to note, however, that the PN statement was not signed by the Opposition spokesperson for Gozo, Alex Borg.”

“Yesterday’s declaration by Chris Said exposes the internal power struggle within the PN: Said, who is not the spokesperson for Gozo, makes an important declaration, 24 hours later, the PN comes out in his defence and the man who should be making these declarations, Alex Borg, keeps mum,” the Labour Party said.

The PL questioned whether “Chris Said, who rumours have it will not contest the coming general election, suddenly has had a change of heart and wants a political hold over Gozo, thus his suggestion for a Gozo Regional Council which would have absolute control over Gozitan affairs rendering the Gozo Ministry a mere formality?

It stressed that”whatever the case, Gozitans should not be made to pay for an internal PN power struggle in Gozo. That is deeply unfair.

File photo

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