PN councillors one vote short for no confidence motion in Sliema mayor

With one councillor on holiday and two resignations from what was an eight-man majority, Sliema’s PN councillors will not be able to depose mayor Nikki Dimech tomorrow.

The councillors last week presented a motion of no confidence in Dimech, who was expelled from the PN after signing a statement of admission that he had demanded commissions on the award of a council contract.

Dimech yesterday pleaded not guilty to bribery charges presented against him in court.

He may yet manage to overcome an onslaught from his former PN colleagues, who are hamstrung by a missing vote.

Formerly an eight-man majority, the resignation of Dimech and that of Sandra Camilleri, who claimed to have been coerced by PN secretary-general Paul Borg Olivier in signing the impeachment motion, leaves supporters of the motion with six votes.

According to local council legislation, mayors can be impeached by a motion of no confidence by a majority of all councillors in office – meaning the election of deputy mayor Joanna Gonzi to mayor can only be secured with six votes.

PN councillor Patrick Pace is reportedly on holiday in Russia, while mayor Nikki Dimech, now an independent councillor, claiming he is “firmly on [his] side”.

MaltaToday also understands the Labour party will direct its councillors – Martin Debono, Marianne Aquilina, and Nikolai Gauci – to abstain from voting on the motion.