PN leader calls for Minister Dalli's resignation or dismissal after spate of power cuts
Following the frequent power outages across the country, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has called for Energy Minister Miriam Dalli's resignation, or failing that for Prime Minister Robert Abela to remove her from her post.Grech said that Dalli had
![PN leader calls for Minister Dalli's resignation or dismissal after spate of power cuts](https://europe.easybranches.com/uploads/news/2024/07/6622463.jpg)
Following the frequent power outages across the country, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has called for Energy Minister Miriam Dalli's resignation, or failing that for Prime Minister Robert Abela to remove her from her post.
Grech said that Dalli had promised that this year would not be a repetition of the summer of 2023, when the country faced a series of power cuts as temperatures rose to over 40 degrees Celsius, and that the Prime Minister had promised an "unprecedented investment" in the energy sector. Grech then said that, according to the Auditor General, it was revealed that last year government invested less money in the energy network than it did back in 2014, despite the boom in population since then.
Grech said that Abela and his government had abandoned the country, "disappeared", and left the Maltese people to suffer the crisis without any solutions. He demanded solutions and noted that the solutions being provided by Enemalta are causing more inconvenience instead of fixing the problem as people are spending hours or even days in darkness.
Grech stressed that the Labour government's internal issues must not affect the leadership of the country and went on to detail how the power outages have an effect on people's health, harmed businesses and negatively impacted the hospitality sector. He said that the PN "insists" that a situation where noisy generators are placed behind people's houses in case of a power outage should not exist in 2024.
Grech said that whilst the government must compensate for all the losses caused by the outages financially, it should not absolve the government's conscience. He said that the government, Miriam Dalli particularly, following her promises of no power outages this year, must shoulder responsibility.
Grech said that he cannot understand how Dalli has not resigned yet and went on to say that should she not resign, the PN expects Prime Minister Abela to call her in and remove her from her position. Furthermore, he said that he had just sent a letter to the president of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development asking for a meeting to discuss what needs to be done and what the way forward is in this crisis.
Grech concluded by saying that the people have a right to peace of mind and basic needs. He questioned how the government can take the country forward when it cannot even provide the basics.