Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar and a number of patriotic citizens are to present an Open Letter to the Prime Minister, requesting a reconsideration of important decisions in the regeneration of Valletta, to relocate Parliament to the Opera House site, and the St. John's Co-Cathedral Foundation's plans to excavate an underground museum in St. John's Square and cover over its graveyard.

Is this what the Foundation wants for St. John's - the elimination of the graves, to make room for ticket booths, large lifts and a souvenir shop?

We welcome both the holistic remodelling and regeneration of Valletta, including the Bus Terminus, City Gate and the Opera House site, down to Fort St. Elmo, and the expansion of the Cathedral Museum but maintain that they should respect the social, cultural and religious values of Valletta's residents and tourists as well as the needs of the business community.

The excavation of St John's Square at least four storeys deep for the St John's Foundation underground museum is a threat to the stability of the Cathedral which will inflict years of dust, noise, vibration and heavy vehicle traffic on Valletta's residents, tourists and shops. Turning the St. John's grave-yard into a roofed-over visitors' centre including ticketing booths, large lifts and a souvenir shop is an unacceptable desecration of the last resting-place of the heroes of the Great Siege who gave up their lives to protect Christianity in Malta and Europe. Other existing alternatives should be considered, which would result in the saving of €150,000 on an EIA.

The Opera House site is a monument to the sacrifices our people made during our second great siege, World War II. Rather than an Opera house Malta needs a National Theatre for large productions such as concerts, musicals, ballets, dramas and operas which cannot presently be staged for lack of adequate facilities. A National Theatre will promote culture, give our young performers a future and boost tourism all over Malta. A parliament on this site will achieve none of these, but could paralyse Valletta's commercial centre every time an event or rally calls for security measures. The Maltese public has been promised the rebuilding of this theatre at every election and we count on this Government to honour its promises.

John Manduca, High Commissioner of Malta in London, 1987-1990, Founder Editor, Trea-sures of Malta : "Stop ruining our heritage"

Prof. Joe Friggieri, Head of the Philosophy Dept. at the University, poet, playwright and theatre director : "When I was Chairman, the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, whose advice the government is legally bound to seek, had stated quite categorically that the site is not suitable for Parliament and that its location there would contribute to the death rather than the revival of the image and life of Valletta as a capital city. "It is also a known fact," the council said, "that Malta lacks a centre for the self-expression of our cultural identity as well as for the serious development of cultural tourism. Valletta deserves the best. The government is still in a position to revise its plans and respect the natural vocation of the old opera site by providing for its development as an adequate centre for the performing arts."

Joseph Calleja, International Tenor : "I appeal to the Prime Minister and his Cabinet to change course and forget Parliament House, and instead build an Opera House that will be the pride of the Maltese nation"

Paul Xuereb :"If this government goes ahead with its declared plans to build a parliament house on the sacred Teatru Rjal site, and to enable the St John's Cathedral Foundation to ignore all the protests and warnings regarding its intention to create a large museum under our prime historic monument, I shall have to join the growing band of people who accuse it of creeping arrogance."-

Peter Serracino Inglott : "Without entering into other aspects of the St John's Co-Cathedral project, it seems very strange that the investigation of the structural aspects of the underground development is not the first to be carried out. I find it an absolutely frightening prospect that anyone should be even thinking of removing the plinth in the cemetery or carrying out any other action which amounts to desecration of this holy, historic ground."

Nicholas de Piro : "I am not happy with Din l-Art Helwa's assessment of the situation at St. John's but I am delighted with the stand taken by the Very Reverend Chapter of the Metropolitan Cathedral."

Flimkien ghal Ambjent Aħjar
30th January 2009