Just for the record, Godwin Cassar was never chairman. He was a director of the MEPA.

Later on when directors and assistant directors at the MEPA were sprouting faster than you could say Ave Maria, he was given the role of Director-General.

Minghalija kienu jghidula it-tadama.

It was affectionately called il-bizla.

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Well, gee, thanks. I’ll send you a copy.

For crying out loud, for the moment Planning and Environment are grouped together and it would be a grave mistake if the planning section (with a greater emphasis on building development) is given greater emphasis over the environment section.

I cannot honestly say that the previous chairman was the ideal one however he managed to maintain a good balance in his policy decisions.

Did the committee of the Chamber discuss the press release? Did it agree to issue a politically motivated press release? That is improbable because most architects know the harm done by Mintoff and his regime to the profession and to individual architects.

Vince Cassar issued the press release to attract Joe Muscat’s attention to him in the hope that he will be given an appointment upon Labour’s victory. Architects trusted Vince Cassar to work in the interest of the profession. The press release was for his interest and not for the interst of the profession.

This might be a mere coincidence, but I have a strong feeling that Michael Falzon had a big say in this appointment. Everyone knows that Michael Falzon’s associate in the Malta Developers Association, Sandro Chetcuti, is eagerly waiting to start bulldozing Malta with his own building developments and wanted to be represented on the board of MEPA.

Vince Cassar’s brother had a good reputation at the planning authority and was known to be a decent man. Let us follow the current trend and be positive and hope that the new chairman follows in his brother’s steps.

Regarding the appointment of Alex Vella (Ramblers Association), one might ask who will be pulling his strings behind the scene. During the past few years, FAA and Ramblers worked in tandem and most often issued joint statements.

One of Mintoff’s most famous disasters during the short time he spent practising his profession was the old church on Xemxija hill – the one with the failing foundations which has since been demolished and rebuilt.

The PN government had already asked environmental NGOs to name their representative on the MEPA Board. It was Vince Attard of Nature Trust who eventually resigned after taking certain controversial decisions (including the sanctioning of illegal boathouses in Gozo).