MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Gibraltar's Chief Ministers future on the Rocks

In a reaction to the proposed destruction of a unique heritage site in the South District, Gibraltar Chief Minister Peter Caruana is accused of insensitivity and lack of planning by core GSD voters.

Residents of the South District, protested outside Government offices and were addressed by Janet Norton from the UK National Maritime museum who emphasised the heritage importance of the Rosia Tanks site along with Giselle Sene from the South District Association who spoke of the lack of planning in locating a new development in an already congested area whilst there were other areas vacant in Gibraltar.

Support for the Government led by Peter Caruana which was narrowly elected in 2003 is falling fast and todays protestors were particularly annoyed that he failed to even accept the written case for preserving the Rosia Tanks site they had painstakingly prepared and instead accused the organisers of "self-interest and political opportunism."

Meantime the much publicised trilateral meetings with Spain and the UK have so far failed to deliver any progress on Spain's non recognition of Gibraltar's ITU allocated telephone code, and seem destined to produce little except a rehash of the 1987 Airport agreement, which provoked a massive backlash and subsequent change of Government.

Commenting on the situation an independent political observer, Felix Alvarez said "Mr Caruana and his Government have for the past 10 years or so have been selfish and politically self-interested, ignoring the needs of ordinary Gibraltarians. Now they want us to swallow their story that their hastily drawn-up schemes will be affordable by ordinary Gibraltarians and that anyone who has the slightest question about them is almost an enemy of the people."

Source: gibnews.net