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Il-Kunsilli Lokali mhumiex super-favoriti tiegħu



Hekk stqarr il-Prim Ministru Joseph Muscat ftit tal-ġimgħat ilu waqt attività tal-Partit Laburista. Il-Kunsilli Lokali qatt ma kienu super-favoriti tiegħu. U dan jidher bil-fatti. Apparti li fil-bidu tagħhom il-Partit Laburista lanqas biss emmen fihom, il-mod kif ġab ruħu l-Prim Ministru f’dawn is-sitt snin juri li mhux biss ma kienx jemmen fihom fil-passat, imma għadu ma jemminx fihom s’issa.



Matul dawn is-sitt snin, minflok ma l-Kunsilli Lokali ġew mgħoddija iżjed poteri u magħhom iżjed finanzjament, kif dejjem sar fi żmien Gvern Nazzjonalista, raw il-poteri tagħhom jitnaqqru, u l-allokazzjoni tiżdied b’rata li bilkemm baqgħet tlaħħaq ma kemm qed togħla l-ħajja. Il-ħajja mhix togħla biss għall-anzjani, għaż-żgħażagħ u għall-familji, iżda qed togħla wkoll għall-Kunsilli. L-ispejjeż tal-kuntratti obbligatorji, bħat-tindif u ġbir ta’ skart, tant qed jogħlew li mill-allokazzjoni l-Kunsilli bilkemm qed jibqagħlhom finanzi biex iwettqu proġett. Wieħed kultant jibda jissuspetta jekk din hux qed issir b’mod intenzjonat biex imbagħad il-Gvern jgħid li l-Kunsilli mhux jagħmlu xogħolhom u jkompli jeħdilhom iżjed affarijiet minn idejhom, bħalma diġa’ għamel.

Dan hu l-kontra ta’ dak li dejjem emmen il-Partit Nazzjonalista: is-sussidjarjetà u d-deċentralizzazzjoni tal-poter. Aħna nemmnu li l-Gvern għandu jitlaq iżjed poteri minn idejh u jgħaddihom lill-poplu, u hekk għamilna. Dal-Gvern bil-maqlub, irid kollox fil-kontroll ta’ Kastilja. Mill-problemi tal-lokalitajiet, sal-istituzzjonijiet tal-pajjiż. Ħalli jekk jista’ jkun kulħadd iqis ruħu ta’ tallab li jitkarrab għand il-Gvern.

U dan ma ngħiduhx aħna, dan jgħiduh anke Sindki Laburisti. “Ġibtuna tallaba”, “biex tinqeda minn xi awtorità trid tkun taf lil xi ħadd”, qallu Sindki Laburisti lil Ministru Owen Bonnici u lis-Segretarju Parlamentari Silvio Parnis fil-Parlament waqt il-Laqgħa tas-Sindki.

Saħansitra meta dan il-Gvern nieda r-riforma tal-Kunsilli Lokali, il-Partit Nazzjonalista ressaq mat-tmenin proposta biex il-Kunsilli Lokali jkunu aktar effettivi u jingħataw aktar poteri. Ħafna minn dawn il-proposti kienu proprju fil-qasam soċjali. Iżda l-Gvern rema dawn il-proposti kollha, għax kif qal Silvio Parnis “ma nieħdux pariri mill-Oppożizzjoni.” Dik l-arroganza li llum telgħet għal rashom.

Issa l-Partit Laburista nieda l-programmi elettorali tiegħu għal-lokalitajiet u fosthom insibu numru ta’ proposti tal-Partit Nazzjonalista li rema ftit tax-xhur ilu. Fosthom l-introduzzjoni tal-community policing, li saħansitra ivvutaw kontrieha fil-Parlament, l-introduzzjoni tad-day centres u night shelters f’kull lokalità, u għajnuna lil persuni li qed isoffru mis-solitudni u mid-dimensja. Il-Gvern issa anke qed jgħid li jrid isaħħaħ il-koperazzjoni mal-Gwardjani Lokali, meta kien hu stess li neħħa l-infurzar minn idejn il-Kunsilli Lokali!

Għal darboħra, toħroġ in-negattività li jaħdem biha dan il-Gvern, li jpinġi lilu nnifsu bħala xi Gvern pożittiv iżda mbagħad huwa l-iktar Gvern li ħoloq firda u prova jkisser lil kulmin kritikah, kull rapport li ħammarlu wiċċu, u anke kull rapport li ressaqlu proposti ġodda.

Il-Partit Nazzjonalista jibqa’ kommess li permezz tal-kandidati tiegħu jkun vuċi taċ-ċittadini u tal-lokalitajiet tagħhom, quddiem Gvern li m’għadux jimpurtah mill-bżonnijiet ta’ kuljum taċ-ċittadin komuni. Din mihix elezzjoni li ser tbiddel Gvern, iżda hija elezzjoni li fiha nistgħu nibdlu l-attitudni ta’ dan il-Gvern.



Dan l-artiklu deher fil-ġurnal in-Nazzjon tal-Erbgħa 8 ta' Mejju 2019 

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