PN, PL trade accusations over Mosta local council

The Nationalist Party has accused the Labour Party of letting the Labour-led council in Mosta "to abdicate its responsibilities" and was now trying to make up for the four years lost by "promising projects three weeks before the local council elections".

"If Joseph Muscat were truly responsible he would not have let the situation to degenerate as much as it did. Muscat is the only one responsible for the situation," the PN said.

It added that the residents were suffering because Muscat "allowed" the local council not to carry out its responsibilities.

Referring to the €700,000 project for the regeneration of the Ta' Mlit housing estate proposed on Friday by the PL, the PN said government had issued an €8 million scheme in 2010 for the improvement of housing estates. "But the Mosta local council did not apply for the fund," the PN said.

But in a reaction to the government's and PN's criticism, the PL said that the attacks were the result of "GonziPN's unhappiness with the PL's proposals for the housing estates around Malta and Gozo".

The PL said government could not compare its proposed project with the housing estate fund issued by government. "It only goes to show that GonziPN did not understand Joseph Muscat's proposal. It goes beyond a simple scheme, which is in itself too little and too late," the PL said.

It added that government only offered "the indispensable minimum", while Muscat was offering "a jump in quality" for the families living in housing estates.

What used to be a traditional Nationalist stronghold, during the last local council elections a majority of Labour councilors was elected in Mosta. Over the past few months, Muscat admitted that his councilors had failed the residents.

In a bid to gain back the residents' trust, the PL has carried out a complete overhaul of its councilors in Mosta, bringing in new faces.