Mosta at the centre of local councils elections debate

The Mosta local council was the main talking point during the first televised debate, organised by the Broadcasting Authority, for the forthcoming local council elections. The debate's theme, 'Councils that belong to residents', was chosen by Alternattiva Demokratika.

The Green party was represented by Ralph Cassar, whilst Shirley Farrugia and Matthew Paris appeared on behalf of the Nationalist party and Alison Zerafa and Toni Abela represented the Labour party.   

Cassar explained that it was right to dissolve the Sliema local council after internal disagreements stalled tehncouncil's work, but said that government should have done the same in Mosta, and that it instead "preferred to gleefully watch the councillors fight it out". He also noted that Labour did not take the necessary action to mend the situation inside the Mosta council, which was alsotorn apart by councillors' infighting.

Although Cassar emphasised the need for local councils to be closer to the residents' needs and aspirations, the PN and PL speakers chose to battle it out on the scandal-ridden Mosta local council.  Shirley Farrugia, a PN local councillor in Mosta, accused the Labour party's deputy leader, Toni Abela of putting pressure on the council's executive secretary to choose a particular person during the employment process of a clerk. Abela vehemently denied these accusations and said the PN is trying to make Mosta the only issue of this campaign "as if only Mosta exists".

The Labour-led local council in Mosta was involved in a number of controversies, which culminated when last year, Mayor Paul Chetcuti Caruana was involved in an outburst with fellow PL councillors and ordered council employees to destroy an article written by Labour councillor Josette Agius Decelis which appeared on the council's magazine. Chetcuti Caruana has since been dropped by Labour from its list of candidates.

However, Abela spent most of his allocated time speaking about Mosta and about the dissolution of the Sliema local council. Abela said that when Labour gained a majority in Mosta five years ago, he immediately thought that "there will be a campaign to disrupt and obstacle the council". He added that "good governance does not only depend on the local council itself but also depends on how the central government acts".

Answering to accusations that the Labour party had not done anything to improve the situation in Mosta, Abela said that the PL had done its utmost to "give the best advice possible to the councillors" but accused the government of hindering the Mosta local council from carrying out its job. He also added that the PN is once again fielding the former Mosta mayor, Joe Demartino, who left behind a "disastrous financial situation".  

Abela also described the dissolution of the Sliema council as a "tragedy". He said that the Nationalist party had no concrete and specific proposals for the localities and insisted that "honest and good governance starts from central government".

The PN spokesperson and candidate Matthew Paris lambasted the Labour party for not sending its own local council candidates to participate in the debate. He said government had consistently backed local councils, investing "€160 million in local councils in the last four years" whilst the Labour government between 1996 and 1998 reduced the allocated funds for local councils. He said that Labour was all about image but has "no substance".

Shirley Farrugia, a PN councillor in Mosta for the last five years, dubbed the Labour-led Mosta council a "failure". Farrugia explained that the Mosta council did not meet for months and was riddled by "five years of infighting between Labour councillors". She said that the Labour leader was aware of what was going on because he sent Tommy Roberts, a PL official, as an envoy to report on the council's meetings, but still "did not take any action".

Ralph Cassar said that if elected, Green party councillors will ensure that residents "reclaim their right to make use of open spaces". He added that AD is the only party that opposes rampant and haphazard development. Cassar blamed this on the extension of Outside Development Zones and the influence of the construction industry on the Nationalist and Labour parties.

He said that local councils should not be treated like a ball game by the PN and PL. "Alternattiva Demokratika gives local councils a sense of dialogue, responsibility and unity. Our councillors work together with other councillors and not against them".

"Do not waste your vote on parties that put partisan piqcue before the interests of residents. A vote for Alternattiva Demokratika is a vote for hard working councillors with fresh ideas who will make a difference".