Update: the ‘Labour Party billboards controversy
I have received the following email. Read the relevant legal notice here Billboard LN
With respect to the current issue of billboards, the main abuse relates to the fact that the operators are using public land abusively without having been allocated the sites in terms of the law and without paying the government any consideration for the use of the land.
Apart from the MEPA issue, the erection of billboards on public land is regulated by the attached legal notice. Articles 4 and 5 clearly provide that billboards can only be erected on sites scheduled by Transport Malta, and that no person shall place a billboard on a scheduled site unless this is allocated to him by tender.
Further, any person can submit an expression of interest to erect a billboard on any road other than a scheduled site and if this is accepted by Transport Malta, this can only be allocated by tender (to the highest compliant bidder).
To be exact, Article 10 of this legal notice permits political parties to erect political billboards three months prior to an election providing they are removed one week after the election result is announced.
Most of the billboards used by PL for the 2013 general election campaign have over the last 12 months been erected on public land administered by Transport Malta (e.g traffic islands, verges etc.) and the sites have not been allocated by tender as required in terms of the legal notice.
Transport Malta is the authority responsible to ensure the enforcement of this legal notice, and so it must take the necessary enforcement action to ensure that billboards which are not awarded by tender are removed from public places.
The issue is entirely financial and the operators of the ex PL billboards have been allowed (illegally) to continue using them in this manner to offset monies they are owed by Labour with respect to the 2013 general election campaign, or as a form of ‘payment in kind’ for having allowed their billboards to be used free of charge in the election campaign.
This leaves the government open to accusations that it is using the public good abusively and in violation of the law to pay debts the Labour Party (and not the government) owes to those who helped it in the general election campaign.
11 Comments Comment
Leave a Comment
Fejn hu Frankie Tabone?
Ara ssibux ghand ta’ Karolina.
Jekk tarah hemm ghidli, halli ma nersaqx ghandha – la jien u lanqas tal-familja.
Fejn hi l-Oppozizzjoni? Ma naghmlux mod I close my eyes to your malfeasance and you close your eyes to mine?
I don’t think it’s a back-scratching exercise. Labour never mince words when it comes to Nationalist faults. Hell, they don’t mince words when they fabricate Nationalist faults. The Opposition should be having a field day with all these abuses going on but, although starting to find its feet, it still doesn’t seem to have the vigour and bite to be effective.
This morning at around 11.15 a billboard in Msida advertising the government’s reduction of electricity tariffs was being removed and carried away on an appropriate trailer.
Was this one of the illegal ‘temporary’ billboards?
When confronted by Times of Malta, the Minister responsible was clearly clueless on such matters – just as he is with all other matters.
Do these people, now in government, have no respect whatsoever with this kind of behaviour?
Do they think that their party and the government are one and the same thing?
Do they understand the difference between legal and illegal?
Do they respect the management of people’s money, which they spend as if it was their own?
Is there no outside force that brings such behaviour to order?
Do they think that they now own Malta taghna lkoll and steam roll everyone?
Do they know that there is a minority, which deserves respect and which could easily turn into a majority, that has had enough of these tactics?
What about the other billboard companies? Do they just sit and watch? Should they not protest? Why have the MEPA and Transport Malta done nothing?
Ultimately, since the PN is now the underdog, should it not do something to force the issue?
My blood boils.
Is it illegal to tear down an illegal structure? Call it citizen’s enforcement, like citizen’s arrest.
A spate of bonfires to toast the election result.
Bah. I only toast my sovereign, and I do it sitting down, just like you, eh Admiral?
When I do light bonfires it will be for a different purpose – to signal the Chinese invasion.
One point that is not being mentioned is what happens if an illegal billboard causes a traffic accident and possible consequential loss of life or permanent disability. Who would shoulder liability in such a case?