Previous Labour Party MEP Cyrus Engerer made a detailed argument on why the removal of the Għargħur Mayor did not violate democracy. Cyrus Engerer was also a local councilor himself when he was still with PN.
He argued that it is normal for new majorities to be formed in an elected body and he is right, but the problem with the Għargħur case is that even now, with the addition of Francesca Attard as an independent councilor, the new Labour Party mayor of Għargħur still doesn’t have the majority of votes behind her.
The Nationalist Party is calling for new elections to be held for the Gaħrgħur local council.
The only strong case I see for her removal is the allegation of financial impropriety. The former Nationalist Party mayor, Helen Gauci, is currently facing such accusations. She organised a boxing match in the locality and used the Local Council to promote the event, but failed to pay the event’s promoter. She now says that this is a personal matter and will handle it herself. She also says that the current councilors are not responsible and should not be addressing the council’s past financial issues: this is incorrect. The local council has very much the right and also the responsibility to look into the past Council’s finances and issues and address them.
I think that the Labour Party is being short-sighted and is blatantly bulldozing itself onward without thinking about the repercussions. On the other hand, this is a matter which could have easily been handled and addressed by the Nationalist Party. This all started when a Nationalist Party Councilor, Francesca Attard, resigned from the Nationalist Party following disagreements with the Mayor. I suspect that most probably, both of them are wrong and the Labour Party is simply exploiting a dysfunctional situation to its own benefit.
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