News | Sunday, 25 January 2009

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51% against new parliament

James Debono
Over half, 51%, of respondents to a MaltaToday survey have disagreed with the Prime Minister’s decision to move the parliament into the site of the ruins of the Opera House.
Only 17% said they agreed with Lawrence Gonzi’s idea.
Significantly, opposition against the new parliament came from both political shades, with 41% of Nationalist voters opposing Gonzi’s proposal, and the same percentage of Labourites disagreeing, reflecting the lack of partisan division on the issue.

Last December, Gonzi announced his decision to remove parliament from the President’s Palace and to rebuild Valletta’s City Gate. The government is claiming the site of the Opera House is not large enough for a theatre that would suit current business considerations, and that the island has enough theatres.

And yet, 67% want the Opera House to be rebuilt exactly as it was before.
Gonzi said City Gate and replacing the Opera House will cost between €60 and €80 million, and will be completed in four years’ time, by the end of his legislature. But no funds for this project were allocated by government in its Budget 2009, prompting speculation on how the project will be financed.
Even more doubt on the project comes from the fact that only 30% of respondents say it is the right time to spend €80 million on the Valletta project.
Coinciding with the global credit crunch, the massive expense could serve as a Keynesian injection to the economy, pumping much needed cash into the private sector.
But people might resent the lack of funds for other pressing needs.
World acclaimed architect Renzo Piano will design the concept for the project. His original plans back in 1988 caused a furore among conservationists and the public at large.
But opinion has changed, with conservationists Din l-Art Helwa, and architects’ chamber Kamra tal-Periti warming to the idea of a modern structure inside Valletta’s unique environment in 1942.
The public at large still remains skeptical: only 18.3% agree that the opera house ruins should be replaced by a modern structure. An overwhelming 67% want the Opera House to be rebuilt exactly the way it was before it was razed to the ground by German bombers.
Younger respondents are only a bit less conservative, with just 22% expressing a preference for a modern structure.
Moreover, when asked to state what kind of building they would like to replace the opera house ruins with, 49% opted for rebuilding the Opera House – an opinion expressed by the tenor Joseph Calleja.
Another 25% want an alternative to both the opera house and parliament.
While 12.7% opted for a cultural centre, 5.7% want a public library and 5.6% want a museum. The latter two options were endorsed by the Malta Library and Information Association, and a Facebook group currently boasting 441 members.
But the number says it all: another Facebook group opposing the rebuilding of the opera house site as a parliament has 3,153 members.

jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt

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