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GSD lays responsibility for power outage ‘squarely’ on CM

REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

The GSD said last Friday’s power outage “unmasks deeper systemic failures” in the Chief Minister’s leadership of Gibraltar’s energy security and stability.

In a statement, it questioned what back-ups and contingencies are in place to avoid country wide disruption to this level and whether they are in place to avoid future blackouts.

The Opposition said that instead of reassuring the public with empathy, leadership and responsibility, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo “pointed his finger and blamed GibElec”, adding that although the cause still remains a mystery, this matter “falls squarely on the shoulders of the Chief Minister”.

The GSD said: “The power station is a highly complex operation and everyone will understand that issues will arise from time to time, but for any leader of a community less still the Chief Minister to point the finger at any organisation for which he is ultimately responsible for is offensive and demonstrates a clear lack of leadership and understanding of his role.”

“As any leader of any business or organisation knows you lead from the front always and if mistakes are made by your people you and you alone take the fall.”

“Pointing the finger at GibElec over a project that the Government spent many millions of tax-payers money on is a shameful dereliction of his role as Chief Minister.”

Shadow Minister for the Environment, Elliott Phillips, said: “Friday night’s outage is not GibElec’s failing, it is Fabian Picardo’s failing, his failing to plan, failing to train and invest in human resources , failing to provide for back up and contingencies and ultimately a failure to take a cold hard look at himself when reacting in an intemperate and school bully way.”

“Team Gibraltar deserves better than this and the Chief Minister’s reaction shows more about his deep disconnect with our people.”

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