The Labour Party has adopted a strange approach to local council politics. Publicly it is full of praise for local councils and decentralisation, however, internally, politics is shrouded with suspicion with regard to the MLP's own and, obviously, of the Nationalist Party's intentions. Subsidiarity does not flow easily within the MLP's blood stream and we have witnessed this once again in the recent debates in Parliament on the amendments to the Local Council Act.

Publicly, the MLP found no problems with the amendments presented to Parliament. The Labour MPs' comments were rarely relevant to the law being debated but dwelled on how well the local councils where they have a majority were faring. One could also sense an undertone of mistrust in local councillors. Certain Labour MPs even went so far as to raise ghosts from the past. Anglu Farrugia, for example, expressed his disappointment that political parties are contesting local council elections. I was under the impression that this perverse reasoning had long been swept under the carpet. To my mind it is tantamount to legislating so that football clubs would not take part in football leagues. The reason d'etre of a political party is to work for change and policy making. Excluding this from any level would leave a gap in the party's obligations towards the public and its members.

I was astounded by Alfred Sant's stand on the proposal for local authorities to have their term extended from three to four years. This was first mooted during a mayors' conference and the proposal was unanimously approved. The proposal for the extension was not made fortuitously. The idea was bounced off Labour during a mayors' meeting held some two years ago and when Labour signalled their concurrence, the motion was tabled.

The reasons for extending local councils' terms of office are many, ranging from cutting public spending for yearly elections, easing political tension and enabling local councils to be truly effective in their locality because three-year terms are viewed as being rather short in order to fulfil an electoral programme.

This notwithstanding, Dr Sant declared that this would only take place once there is agreement between the two parties on the electoral boundaries for the general election. How can they get away with this argument? Where is the rationale? Where is the connection between the two? Electoral boundaries are a subject completely different and distinct from the term of a local council and it is therefore illogical to tie both together and make one conditional on the other.

If I were a Labour mayor I would take offence at Dr Sant's stand. First the party signifies its agreement for the amendments to the law to be made, leading me to vote in favour of the motion proposed during the mayors' meeting, and then Dr Sant does one of his celebrated U-turns. I wonder why the Labour mayors did not seek a meeting with their leader to convince him they had made a commitment in their party's name and that it was now embarrassing for them to argue against this. However, one has to understand the circumstances Labour mayors and councillors find themselves in. It seems to me they are subject to a whole string of executive orders emanating from the Glass Palace in Hamrun. Failure to comply is likely to result in summary expulsion.

From the PN side there was a howl of outrage and an insistence to proceed with the amendment and not give in to Dr Sant's blackmail. The government however, took a cautious position in not introducing the amendment, together with the other amendments proposed, for the time being. The reason behind the PN's proposal for the extension of local councils' term of office was not to extend its power but the result of agreement demanded by a national need. This however should not be tied to any other issue, especially if the issues are not connected.

If the other parties signal their consensus, the government will take heed.

Dr Mifsud is president of the Nationalist Party's College of Councillors.

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