More trouble ahead as Fgura mayorship causes further confusion for PL
Last week's ‘spontaneous’ resignation of Fgura Mayor Darren Marmara has reportedly thrown the locality’s council into further disarray, as the Labour party is now faced with another problem: the man who by right is next in line to succeed Marmarà, is not desired by the party.
23 July 2010, 12:00am
Karl Stagno-Navarra
Karl Stagno-Navarra
2 min read
Marmarà beat his own party to the punch by opting to resign before last week’s Fgura council meeting, avoiding facing a no confidence motion that was brought forward by fellow party councillors led by deputy Mayor Anthony Degiovanni.
Once Marmarà avoided the motion, this was withdrawn, catapulting Degiovanni to the chair as the second person who had garnered most votes in the last elections held in the locality. Under local council elections rules, the councillor with the highest votes get automatically appointed mayor.
“Independently of what the other councillors had in mind, I have no option but to do what is in the best interest of Fgura. I met the deputy leader of the Labour Party for party affairs, Toni Abela, and we understood each other’s position. Despite what other people do to me, my loyalty to the party remains,” Marmarà told reporters when he announced his resignation before the meeting.
Shunned by his own party, Marmarà’s move placed his main accuser to the mayorship, and opened the door for more problems for his party. The PL is reportedly actively behind another person for the post, the third in line: Byron Camilleri, who would have achieved the support of his fellow councillors if only Marmarà had faced the motion.
The motion of no confidence in Darren Marmarà over "lack of serenity" within the council was filed by Anthony Degiovanni and councillors Saviour Camilleri, Rita Cutajar, Byron Camilleri and Pierre Dalli.
Byron Camilleri, was originally nominated as the next mayor, but according to law cannot be elected to mayor now that the motion has been withdrawn, making Anthony Degiovanni de facto the next mayor.
Another complication is set to arise as the adjournment for the next meeting saw Anthony Degiovanni proposing the ‘election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor’ – a Freudian slip which apparently uncovered another plan that was not anticipated by the PL.
The matter is set to cause more unrest within the PL majority, with Darren Marmarà – now a councillor – prepared to shoot down Degiovanni’s proposals.
Albert Zammit •
Fgura? Where's that?
But who cares about the tantrums of a bunch of so-called councillors who are more inclined towards creating problems for themselves and their liaisons with their respective political parties than the urgent and enormous needs of the residents there?
