| More spin from AX Michael Briguglio 10 August 2002 The threat by AX Holdings to take legal action against the Front Kontra l-Golf Kors (The Malta Independent 30 July) reflects a state of panic. This is hardly surprising when one keeps in mind that opposition against the proposed golf course keeps increasing.The press release issued by the company is full of spin and untruths, but conveniently remains silent about the fact that the proposed usurpation of land at Tal-Virtu' violates the structure plan and the agreement between the Maltese Government and the Vatican. This was respectively confirmed by the planning directorate and the Apostolic Nuncio. To give just a small example of untruth and spin in the AX Holdings statement, I am not a member of Graffitti Movement, as stated by AX Holdings. I left that organisation in 2000 and am now a member of Alternattiva Demokratika. This is not the first time that the company's spin machine - which incidentally uses the services of Daphne Caruana Galizia - has resorted to such untruth. In fact James Debono, another AD activist who had also left Graffitti Movement in 2000, was also defined as a member of Graffitti Movement by AX Holdings a few months back in another newspaper. So AX Holdings is either cut off from Malta's media - where both James Debono and myself regularly contribute articles or speak on behalf of AD - or else the company is deliberately lying for some reason or another. Second, AX Holdings refers to my demand for an independent audit of the Environment Impact Statement as well as for public statements by the authors of the EIA who were appointed by AX Holdings that they have no financial interest in the company. AX Holdings says both exist. If this is true the company should have no problems in making them public. To date I have seen no independent audit of the most recent draft of the EIA that was submitted to MEPA, and I have seen no written evidence from its authors that they have or had no commercial or financial interest in AX Holdings. In this regard it would be interesting to note that AX Holdings itself co-authored the economic part of the EIA. I will not believe AX Holdings until I see these documents. How can I believe this company when it does not say the truth on so many issues? AX Holdings is trying to imply that only a few individuals are opposing the project. This is chop logic at its best. To begin with, AX Holdings always ignores the fact that the Progressive Farmers Union is representing the 90 farmers and their families who are publicly opposing the proposed development. Furthermore, are 18 organisations (incidentally joined by a further two, Azzjoni Pozittiva and GLUE during the past few days) "a few individuals"? Is Alternattiva Demokratika, which represents thousands of voters, "a few individuals"? Are the members of renowned and respected environmental NGOs like Nature Trust and Friends of the Earth "a few individuals"? Or the farmers' within the Central Co-operative, that represents around 1,000 farmers? What about the students and youth active in Graffitti Movement and Move? And the University Chaplaincy, made up of respected academics, students and members of the clergy? One can go on and mention all the organisations within the Front Kontra l-Golf Kors. AX Holdings should keep in mind that resorting to threats will not scare us one bit. It will only make us stronger and increase solidarity both among us as well as towards the farmers from civil society. The Front Kontra l-Golf Kors is made up of people committed to their legitimate cause, and not of mercenaries who are paid to produce PR. |
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