MLP councillor expelled from section committee

Ivan Bartolo, the MLP Mosta councillor who last Monday voted in favour of a council motion urging Mosta people to vote for EU membership, has been expelled from the MLP's Mosta committee.

Mr Bartolo, who was the club's secretary, received a letter from the acting president Jason Micallef, telling him the committee had unanimously decided on February 20 he could no longer serve as a committee member or hold any other post in the committee.

"By voting in favour of a motion moved by the Nationalist Party, you have betrayed the decision taken by the party general conference as well as the Mosta electorate," Mr Micallef told Mr Bartolo.

Contacted yesterday, Mr Bartolo said he had accepted the letter without any hesitation.

"I had been asked by the party to serve as secretary as no one wanted to stand for the post. If they want me out, I will not fight to stay on," Mr Bartolo said.

At last Monday's local council meeting, Mr Bartolo read out a declaration explaining why he was voting in favour of the pro-EU motion and urged other Labour supporters to vote for EU membership.

"By voting yes, Labour supporters would not be negating Labour principles. On the contrary, they would be sustaining their Labour beliefs," Mr Bartolo said before voting in favour of the motion.

Malta Labour Party secretary general Jimmy Magro had said when contacted the MLP would not be taking any steps against Mr Bartolo, whom he had described as having "a weak character".

Mr Bartolo said he could not understand how he was now being called weak when it was the MLP administration that had wanted him to act as the Mosta MLP club secretary.

"I have taken a stand because I believe in what I am doing. There are many within the MLP who would like to do the same but cannot because of the prevailing atmosphere in the party," he said.