Updated | Local councils elections race starts

PN councillor Paula Mifsud Bonnici flanked by other three PN councillors took umbrage at the fact that Opposition leader Joseph Muscat claimed Government did not help the Hamrun local council in the five-storey car park project in Duke of Edinburgh Street.

Reacting to an earlier press conference held by Muscat, Mifsud Bonnici criticised Muscat's "thirst for power".

"Joseph Muscat used a project administered by the whole local council for his partisan interests," Mifsud Bonnici said during a press conference.

This morning Muscat visited ongoing works at the five-storey parking and said that government had not helped the local council in their project to mitigate parking problems.

"This is completely untrue," Mifsud Bonnici said. "Government had guaranteed the loan which the local council needed for the project. Moreover, government had devolved the land to the local council. Muscat tried to deceive people by saying that the local council didn't have the support of government."

Mifsud Bonnici added that the PN local councillors had not been informed of the morning's activity and said that only through the media they got to know the date of when the project will be launched.

"All members of the local council worked hard on the project. It is a local council's project. How come such an important date was not discussed during the council's meetings?" Mifsud Bonnici said.

Earlier

Opposition leader Joseph Muscat this morning visited works being carried out in Duke of Edinburgh Street, Hamrun. The project, undertaken by the Hamrun local council in collaboration with a private company, includes the building of a parking space of five storeys underneath the centre of the locality.

Muscat said residents and the commercial community will benefit out of the project.

Praising the work the Hamrun local council was carrying out, the PL leader remarked that the local council elections will be held in a "surreal" moment: "Because of the current uncertainty which exists and the political crisis which government has found itself in, the local council elections will be held in a surreal atmosphere."

Muscat went on to say that amid all this, the PL will remain close to the people: "But while Gonzi's government remains clinging to power, the Labour Party will remain close to the people who are our priority."

Over the project, Muscat said it is the result of the hard work carried out by the local council, who without forcing any burdens on the residents of Hamrun or on the local government, it worked with the private to make the project a success.

The Hamrun local council worked in partnership with Parkwell. €1.2 million were invested in the project.

Muscat also praised the local council for "the positive performance" the Labour-led local council had achieved.

Muscat added that a plan for traffic management could significantly reduce the pollution problem in Hamrun.

"If the present government doesn't help the local council in a project so important for the residents and the commercial community, a new government will take this project seriously," Muscat said.